Pathologist Sentenced to 20 yrs in prison for misdiagnoses

[WEBB PINKERTON]

The VA needs to be privatized. I say this as someone who has inspected many VA labs over the years.

Former Arkansas VA pathologist sentenced to 20 years in federal prison

A pathologist fired from an Arkansas veterans hospital after officials said he had been impaired while on duty was sentenced to federal prison on Friday. Robert Morris Levy, 54, of Fayettevillewas a pathologist at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, overseeing more than 30,000 of his...

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[fecalith]

I have watched the whole video of his arrest for a DUI. I wonder how this guy even made it to med school.....

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Ain't real hard to become a doctor

 

[octopusprime]

At the same time, the report reads like a state medical board review...
Under the agreement, Levy pleaded guilty to misdiagnosing a patient with small cell carcinoma who died after being treated for a type of cancer he didn’t have.

Albeit the substance abuse is damning and the guy sounds like a real winner, I've seen these kinds of reports and they can be extremely misleading...some "expert pathologist" comes in and renders a nuanced diagnosis that is either splitting hairs or so esoteric that only other pathologists will understand, not the judge or jury or people reading the newspaper, they only read that the guy "missed the diagnosis of melanoma, erroneously diagnosing a nevus with severe atypia", or "misdiagnosed a patient with [fill-in-the-blank] carcinoma who died after being treated for [a similar / related / slightly less specific] carcinoma, " etc.

 

[Adrian Cocot]

I think falsifying the patient's medical record to put in a fake intradepartmental concurrence is what really got him into trouble, not the misdiagnosis.

 

[octopusprime]

I think falsifying the patient's medical record to put in a fake intradepartmental concurrence is what really got him into trouble, not the misdiagnosis.

Perhaps, but again nuances: did he actually fabricate a QC form or did he casually show a colleague and put his/her name in the report without documenting it? Not defending the guy, there's just so many nuances about cases like these that rarely see the light of day, and if you really dive into the nitty gritty, any of us could get dinged for similar circumstances. Often it amounts to 1 or 2 egregious incidents (like substance abuse) to which multiple "objective" grievances are tacked on to build a stronger case.

I've seen a few medicolegal cases involving hospitals wanting to build a case against someone to get rid of them (for various reasons) and while the pathologist in question wasn't exactly Juan Rosai, he wasn't the bumbling incompetent fool he was made out to be.

 

[Allegri]

It says he was abusing 2-methyl 2-butanol. WTH is that?

 

[LADoc00]

It says he was abusing 2-methyl 2-butanol. WTH is that?

2M2B, a rec drug used by real degenerates. Trailer park paint huffer trash.

Super dangerous as well....20 years seems insane though. There are kidnapper/rapists doing like 11 years.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

He should have hired a better lawyer.

The VA doesn't seem to be real good about hiring quality pathologists, at least the ones I have met over the years.

 

[LADoc00]

He should have hired a better lawyer.

The VA doesn't seem to be real good about hiring quality pathologists, at least the ones I have met over the years.

Which is insane because if you pick the right location, VA jobs are literally among the best for clock puncher head-down pathologists coming out of training young. If you can get through residency by 29-30, you are looking at 55 years old for retirement. Then pop the parachute, take a part time gig down in florida until 65.

Since you are defined benefit pensioning, you can throw all of your income at either RE or student loans, live like a resident still and then basically be set for life.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

The VAs I've been around seemed BORING. There is barely enough work for one path. Last one I inspected had two paths and only a few thousand accessions. They had plenty of time to hang with me during the inspection. LOL. If you take pride in being productive and earning your money, I wouldn't recommend those places. Privatize those labs and save money.

 

[KeratinPearls]

The VAs I've been around seemed BORING. There is barely enough work for one path. Last one I inspected had two paths and only a few thousand accessions. They had plenty of time to hang with me during the inspection. LOL. If you take pride in being productive and earning your money, I wouldn't recommend those places. Privatize those labs and save money.

Lol I know what you mean. Pathologists at the VA got it made. I interviewed for a job and the guy said he finishes his work in an hour and spends the rest of his day teaching or committee meetings. You can’t complain!

I remember the pathologist reading a newspaper on a weekday like it was Saturday morn when I was doing my rotation there.

One guy was old. He was prob there for 40 years it seemed.

Great pension as well. You can’t player hate these guys!

 

[Adrian Cocot]

Perhaps, but again nuances: did he actually fabricate a QC form or did he casually show a colleague and put his/her name in the report without documenting it? Not defending the guy, there's just so many nuances about cases like these that rarely see the light of day, and if you really dive into the nitty gritty, any of us could get dinged for similar circumstances. Often it amounts to 1 or 2 egregious incidents (like substance abuse) to which multiple "objective" grievances are tacked on to build a stronger case.

A little bit of google-fu, and I found the complaint.

Robert Morris Levy: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

Drug use (purchased on Ebay? *facepalm*) aside, it seems like he used someone else's name in vain on his reports multiple times. Although isn't not exactly specified how, from my reading it sounds like he put a comment on the report that he got concurrence from a 2nd pathologist.

But tbh, the bit that really freaks me out is the charge of involuntary manslaughter charge for missing a prostate cancer.

 

[deleted314957]

A little bit of google-fu, and I found the complaint.

Robert Morris Levy: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

Drug use (purchased on Ebay? *facepalm*) aside, it seems like he used someone else's name in vain on his reports multiple times. Although isn't not exactly specified how, from my reading it sounds like he put a comment on the report that he got concurrence from a 2nd pathologist.

But tbh, the bit that really freaks me out is the charge of involuntary manslaughter charge for missing a prostate cancer.

And any of us who have pushed glass for decades have certainly missed cancers.

 

[TrojanRaggy]

A little bit of google-fu, and I found the complaint.

Robert Morris Levy: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

Drug use (purchased on Ebay? *facepalm*) aside, it seems like he used someone else's name in vain on his reports multiple times. Although isn't not exactly specified how, from my reading it sounds like he put a comment on the report that he got concurrence from a 2nd pathologist.

But tbh, the bit that really freaks me out is the charge of involuntary manslaughter charge for missing a prostate cancer.

Especially when missing a prostate cancer may sometimes be more beneficial to the patient

 

[deleted314957]

Especially when missing a prostate cancer may sometimes be more beneficial to the patient

Amen!

 

[medgator]

The VA needs to be privatized. I say this as someone who has inspected many VA labs over the years.

Former Arkansas VA pathologist sentenced to 20 years in federal prison

A pathologist fired from an Arkansas veterans hospital after officials said he had been impaired while on duty was sentenced to federal prison on Friday. Robert Morris Levy, 54, of Fayettevillewas a pathologist at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, overseeing more than 30,000 of his...

katv.com

Yup

USA TODAY Investigation: VA knowingly hires doctors with past malpractice claims, discipline for poor care

The VA has repeatedly hired doctors with problem pasts in recent years, some of whom went on to harm veteran patients, a USA TODAY investigation found.

www.usatoday.com

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Sounds like the missed case was a lymph node with small cell carcinoma in it that he called lymphoma.

Pathologist’s Prison Term Is a Warning for AP Groups

As a VA pathologist is found guilty of manslaughter, a lawyer who reviewed the case warns AP groups of possible liability in similar cases.

www.darkintelligencegroup.com

 

[LADoc00]

The VAs I've been around seemed BORING. There is barely enough work for one path. Last one I inspected had two paths and only a few thousand accessions. They had plenty of time to hang with me during the inspection. LOL. If you take pride in being productive and earning your money, I wouldn't recommend those places. Privatize those labs and save money.

Silence that! The VA hospitals are the last bastion of socialist medicine reminiscent of a lazy, bygone Soviet era of inept bureaucrats, incompetent staff and sleepy days that I plan on working at in my old age. Dont spoil my cozy retirement gig with cries of privatizing.

 

[Doormat]

Silence that! The VA hospitals are the last bastion of socialist medicine reminiscent of a lazy, bygone Soviet era of inept bureaucrats, incompetent staff and sleepy days that I plan on working at in my old age. Dont spoil my cozy retirement gig with cries of privatizing.

Agree. I have a good friend at the VA in pathology. It's a stunningly relaxed atmosphere with coffee and lunch breaks that last hours. He says it's important that you do your meme stock day trading and options trading from a personal laptop that connects directly to the cellular network, because the VA closely monitors your internet activity on internal computers.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Breaks from what? Pathologists have like no work at most of these places. Privatize the VA!

 

[KeratinPearls]

Agree. I have a good friend at the VA in pathology. It's a stunningly relaxed atmosphere with coffee and lunch breaks that last hours. He says it's important that you do your meme stock day trading and options trading from a personal laptop that connects directly to the cellular network, because the VA closely monitors your internet activity on internal computers.

Anyone playing GameStop?

 

[fecalith]

Anyone playing GameStop?

Lost 3000 bucks the first round cuz i sold... then it came back up and so far only making 200 bucks cuz i kept one share at 47... tragedy!! never selling anything again for a loss..

 

[dukeresident]

Especially when missing a prostate cancer may sometimes be more beneficial to the patient

“sometimes”