Dallas Neurosurgeon Gets Life Sentence for Maiming Patients

[drusso]

Ex-Neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch Sentenced to Life

Prosecutors said sentencing a surgeon for his or her outcomes in the operating room was unprecedented in American history.

www.dmagazine.com

"He was offered a $600,000 annual salary and stood to earn 40 percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 a year. Prosecutors said this greed fueled him. His ego ballooned, as evidenced in other emails in which he compared himself to God and Einstein. He once wrote that he was a “mother ****er stone-cold killer.” Drug and alcohol abuse dogged him throughout his career, but he never tested positive. Substance abuse allegations largely stayed out of the trial until the sentencing phase—the outcomes were poor enough that the state could center on those to secure his sentence."

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[Laryngospasm]

I read a long story about this guy. Really bizarre with Lots of strange details.

 

[deleted859689]

Dr. Death

 

[gaseous_clay]

Why would facilities continue to give him privileges to do these procedures knowing he had so many bad outcomes and prior revocations of these privileges at other institutions?

 

[drusso]

Why would facilities continue to give him privileges to do these procedures knowing he had so many bad outcomes and prior revocations of these privileges at other institutions?

$O$...

 

[gaseous_clay]

$O$...

yes, yes that’s the obvious answer, but the facility accreditation status will be compromised if they keep signing off on yahoos like this.

 

[drusso]

yes, yes that’s the obvious answer, but the facility accreditation status will be compromised if they keep signing off on yahoos like this.

...they don't care...

 

[paindoc007]

Ex-Neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch Sentenced to Life

Prosecutors said sentencing a surgeon for his or her outcomes in the operating room was unprecedented in American history.

www.dmagazine.com

"He was offered a $600,000 annual salary and stood to earn 40 percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 a year. Prosecutors said this greed fueled him. His ego ballooned, as evidenced in other emails in which he compared himself to God and Einstein. He once wrote that he was a “mother ****er stone-cold killer.” Drug and alcohol abuse dogged him throughout his career, but he never tested positive. Substance abuse allegations largely stayed out of the trial until the sentencing phase—the outcomes were poor enough that the state could center on those to secure his sentence."

Damn dude. This story is so old. We talked about the Dr Death podcast at least one year ago

 

[deleted131481]

Damn dude. This story is so old. We talked about the Dr Death podcast at least one year ago

I guess I'm late but I just listened last week. Extremely bizarre, how to imagine no red flags during residency.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[IMGASMD]

I guess I'm late but I just listened last week. Extremely bizarre, how to imagine no red flags during residency.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

I thought he did like extra extra fellowships because he really couldn’t operate....

 

[clubdeac]

the podcast was fascinating. unbelievably sadistic

 

[drusso]

Damn dude. This story is so old. We talked about the Dr Death podcast at least one year ago

I thought it was interesting to look at their group's comp model: $600K base and 40% collections after $800K. It's an interesting split.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Ex-Neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch Sentenced to Life

Prosecutors said sentencing a surgeon for his or her outcomes in the operating room was unprecedented in American history.

www.dmagazine.com

"He was offered a $600,000 annual salary and stood to earn 40 percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 a year. Prosecutors said this greed fueled him. His ego ballooned, as evidenced in other emails in which he compared himself to God and Einstein. He once wrote that he was a “mother ****er stone-cold killer.” Drug and alcohol abuse dogged him throughout his career, but he never tested positive. Substance abuse allegations largely stayed out of the trial until the sentencing phase—the outcomes were poor enough that the state could center on those to secure his sentence."

That article is almost 3 years old at this point...this isn’t breaking news.

 

[epidural man]

But since we are talking about this podcast - there is another podcast that ya'all should listen to - then watch the drama on netflix made from the podcast.

Dirty John - about a crazy crazy CRNA.

 

[Ducttape]

$O$...

read the articles and information. not as simple as this. the salary came from the Minimally Invasive Clinic for which he was an employee. Baylor Plano may be an open Medical staff system...

 

[-Sojourner-]

I thought it was interesting to look at their group's comp model: $600K base and 40% collections after $800K. It's an interesting split.

Interestingly, the same neurosurgeons were indicted by federal prosecutors few years ago for illegal kickback schemes...

"A federal grand jury has indicted 21 individuals allegedly involved in a massive kickback scheme through the defunct Forest Park Medical Center chain of luxury hospitals, which resulted in “well over half a billion dollars” in billed claims due to illegal bribes.

The 44-page indictment, unsealed Thursday, describes a vast, four-year conspiracy, fueled by $40 million in kickbacks funneled through a number of shell companies—consulting firms, commercial real estate firms, business services organizations—into the pockets of high-powered surgeons, some of whom have their faces on billboards throughout Dallas-Fort Worth"

"The alleged bribery scheme sailed far outside the doors of Forest Park’s grey and blue flagship at the corner of U.S. 75 and Interstate 635. Also indicted were prominent bariatric surgeons Drs. David Kim and William Nicholson as well as the minimally invasive spine surgeons Drs. Michael Rimlawi, Douglas Won, and Shawn Henry. Won, the DOJ alleges, was paid $7 million for his referrals. Rimlawi is accused of accepting $3.8 million. The feds argue that Kim and Nicholson, both of whom were investors in Forest Park, were paid $4.595 million and $3.8 million respectively. Reads the indictment: “The surgeons spent the vast majority of the bribe payments marketing their personal medical practices—which benefitted them financially—or on personal expenses such as cars, diamonds, and payments to family members.” "

D CEO Healthcare: The Business of Healthcare in North Texas

Breaking news, local reporting, and expert insights on the business of healthcare in Dallas and North Texas.

healthcare.dmagazine.com

 

[drusso]

Interestingly, the same neurosurgeons were indicted by federal prosecutors few years ago for illegal kickback schemes...

"A federal grand jury has indicted 21 individuals allegedly involved in a massive kickback scheme through the defunct Forest Park Medical Center chain of luxury hospitals, which resulted in “well over half a billion dollars” in billed claims due to illegal bribes.

The 44-page indictment, unsealed Thursday, describes a vast, four-year conspiracy, fueled by $40 million in kickbacks funneled through a number of shell companies—consulting firms, commercial real estate firms, business services organizations—into the pockets of high-powered surgeons, some of whom have their faces on billboards throughout Dallas-Fort Worth"

"The alleged bribery scheme sailed far outside the doors of Forest Park’s grey and blue flagship at the corner of U.S. 75 and Interstate 635. Also indicted were prominent bariatric surgeons Drs. David Kim and William Nicholson as well as the minimally invasive spine surgeons Drs. Michael Rimlawi, Douglas Won, and Shawn Henry. Won, the DOJ alleges, was paid $7 million for his referrals. Rimlawi is accused of accepting $3.8 million. The feds argue that Kim and Nicholson, both of whom were investors in Forest Park, were paid $4.595 million and $3.8 million respectively. Reads the indictment: “The surgeons spent the vast majority of the bribe payments marketing their personal medical practices—which benefitted them financially—or on personal expenses such as cars, diamonds, and payments to family members.” "

D CEO Healthcare: The Business of Healthcare in North Texas

Breaking news, local reporting, and expert insights on the business of healthcare in Dallas and North Texas.

healthcare.dmagazine.com

The primary fuel here was diverted money from HOPD facility fees.

 

[Ducttape]

The primary fuel here was diverted money from HOPD facility fees.

it was actually built on out of network fees propogated by the physicians and physician owned hospitals.

The model collapsed in on itself in part because of its reliance on high out-of-network charges that it would bill to insurance companies. The payers eventually balked at the fees, and the patient volumes dried up. The hospitals died one by one, each eventually entering bankruptcy and sold off to a health system—Medical City Healthcare (formerly HCA North Texas), Texas Health Resources, the Methodist Health System, and St. David’s in Austin. Because they were physician owned, they were barred by the Affordable Care Act from billing any public health insurance plan, such as Medicare, for fear of conflicts of interest regarding referrals. And despite this, it twice had to settle claims with the DOJ for paying kickbacks for Tricare patients and injured Department of Labor employees. The indictment alleges that this is exactly what happened: Beauchamp, Barker, and Kim, among others, “also attempted to refer patients with lower-reimbursing insurance coverage, namely Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, to other facilities in exchange for cash.”

 

[lonelobo]

it was actually built on out of network fees propogated by the physicians and physician owned hospitals.

details, details get in the way of a good story

 

[deleted993114]

Why would facilities continue to give him privileges to do these procedures knowing he had so many bad outcomes and prior revocations of these privileges at other institutions?

$$$$

Facilities will tolerate guys who generate revenue and the physician peer review system OFTEN fails, as physicians are reluctant to discipline peers.

As a physician, if you stand up, take action, and report bad docs, the hospital/hospital system may take revenge.

Where I used to practice, I reported a guy who had a 50% infection rate with implants and maimed dozens of patients. The hospital peer review system and our group refused to do anything. The doc lost his medical license after I reported him and the legal system did the rest. The hospital system vowed revenge.

 

[Laryngospasm]

Yes unfortunately people are often afraid of repercussions for reporting people. Especially before the evidence is overwhelming.

 

[soccrwz]

He was reported many times

 

[Laryngospasm]

Eventually he was yes.

 

[Ducttape]

Eventually he was yes.

he only operated in Texas for 2 years, operating on 38 patients.

 

[Laryngospasm]

Yes but he was multiple places from what I recall.