Missing a handful is unacceptable. By the time the Dallas County district attorneys office got involved and brought criminal charges against Duntsch, the prosecutor counted 33 of his surgeries that had gone wrong and two patients were dead. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. A Virginia anesthesiologist was disciplined in 2020 after failing to document his patients medical record and need for continuous respiratory monitoring once transferred out of his care. And to be able to take actions quicker to protect the public.. He tracked down the program where Duntsch had completed his surgical training and sent them a picture. Just watch the Peacock original series "Dr. Death" for proof of that. I think it probably depended on the patient because there were also a handful of surgeries that were fine.". Next:Why Harrison Ford Replaced Alec Baldwin As Jack Ryan. He injured two more patientsPhilip Mayfield and Jeff Glidewell. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? He resigned after the deadly surgery. He was granted temporary privileges at the center and operated on two patients: Floella Brown and Mary Efurd. It was Efurd's surgery that spurred Dr. Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin in the Peacock series) to attempt to take action against Duntsch. The doctor failed to properly assess the patient, did not detect the brain bleed and administered potentially harmful medication with a risk of worsening the patients condition, according to the Medical Board of California. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. In a July 15 bonus episode of the Dr. Death podcast featuring. Andr's immediate relatives including parents, siblings, partnerships and children in the Roussimoff family tree. He knew right away that what he saw was highly unusual and suspicious. However, because he wasn't actually fired, his record remained clean and he was able to get hired at Dallas Medical Center in 2012, where his operation on Floella Brown led to her death after he cut her verbal artery, according to D. Magazine, and botched a surgery on Mary Efurd, by amputating a nerve root and leavingsurgical hardware inside her, reported the Observer. As far as, Does the [Texas] Medical Board go and review all, you know, 154,000 of our licensees to make sure that theyve disclosed everything thats come in? Thats something thats a little more time intensive that the medical board has not in the past done, Carlton said. Before being fired for failing to meet standards of care, Duntsch resigned. Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore loses Sacha Baron Cohen lawsuit, The Mandalorian: Mark Hamill addresses surprise Luke Skywalker cameo, says questions will be answered, GB News mocked after suffering most embarrassing fail yet. "It had circulated that. We want to believe we're in safe hands when we're with a doctor. Well, Henderson said, I think the odds of it are pretty darn high.. Prior disciplinary actions do not disqualify an applicant, Carlton said. Drs. What Henderson discovered an implanted screw that was grossly malpositioned, as well as plans by Duntsch to operate again on the patient for something unrelated to the symptoms she was exhibiting raised more red flags. In July 2012, Duntsch performed surgery on Mary Efurd, a woman in her seventies who lost mobility and was left needing a wheelchair after the procedure. A key piece of prosecution evidence wound up being a video Henderson had recordedof his attempt to repair Efurd's original operation. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. When you share a memory, or just show that you care by interacting with the biography, Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher, Campside Media / Sony Music Entertainment, Suspicion | The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman. Two were killed and another two were paralyzed. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Memphis College of Medicine with an MD as well as a PhD. An exclusive clip is above. Even though Duntsch's poor surgical record was well known in the medical community,Kirby and Henderson found themselves hamstrung by a complicated process to revoke a physician's medical license. A Core Features Editor for Screen Rant specializing in SEO-driven content, Charles Cameron has been managing copy, data reporting, and diverse teams in various forms since 2014. In the docuseries, Kirby notes that Glidewell would be the last person Duntsch operated on, but he was one of more than 30 that the surgeon left either maimed, in chronic pain or, in two cases, dead, in a two-year span. Unlike Texas, those states require physicians to report this information to their states medical boards within 30 to 60 days. 'Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Did Addison Montgomery Survive Last Week's Crash? Some of them do. After dropping out of the schools in Mississippi and Colorado, he returned to his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, to study there. Death Based On A True Story, "He explained to me that he was the best spine surgeon in Dallas," Dr. Kirby said in a 2019 episode of, But if Duntsch came off as arrogant to Kirby early on, their next interaction would prove much worse. But it is something that were looking into right now.. The surgeon whod performed that operation was Christopher Duntsch. The video would eventually become a crucial piece of evidence in the criminal case against Duntsch. Still Practicing: Tracking Problem Doctors, Texas Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout Investigations, Sign up for More than the Score Sports newsletter, Why North Carolinas doctor transparency is better than Texas, according to a report released last month, High-waisted jeans that are as comfortable as they, Monster striped bass caught in Lady Bird Lake, Texas ranks No. Whether they could no longer practice at a hospital because of some safety concern by the hospital? Duntsch faced anywhere from five years to life in prison, or he could also have been put on probation. I don't know. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Andr's lifetime. In the meantime, Duntsch worked in other hospitals around the area, including Legacy Surgery Center and University General Hospital in Dallas. Unfortunately, there remains too much secrecy about a physicians history, said Informed Patient Institute Executive Director Carol Cronin, who is with the non-profit that authored the PSAN report. It investigates his personal life and questions the system that let him go seemingly undetected for years. "And then the screw at the bottom wasnt really even in bone. 'Grey's Anatomy' : Katherine Avery Reveals Her Secret as Owen Makes a Decision about His Future in Medicine, 'Grey's Anatomy' : Kate Walsh's Addison Montgomery Returns as Tragedy Strikes Grey Sloan, Lucy Letby: How Authorities Zeroed in on British Nurse Accused of Murdering Infants in Neonatal Unit, Man Fighting Cancer Marries the Love of His Life Before Surgery on Brain Tumor: 'A Perfect Day', Tamra Judge Opens Up About 'Painful' Abdominoplasty After Life-Saving Hernia Surgery, Joshua Jackson Becomes a Dangerous 'Sociopath' Surgeon in 'Dr. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. These include non-quantifiable expenses like quality of life, the emotional toll of the loss of a loved one, or the ability to participate in activities that once brought a person joy. Its how the statutes and rules are currently written.. I just did what I thought was right," Henderson, And if you want to dive even deeper into the story, you can also watch the new docuseries. Other shocking surgeries followed, including a routine surgery on Barry Morguloff to help with a spine issue, which was where Dr. Kirby (Slater) saw firsthand how reckless and dangerous Duntsch was as he allegedly botched the procedure. Robb is known for her roles as Bethany Hamilton in Soul Surfer, Lacey in The Act, and Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The surgeon instead performed an L4-L5 discectomy and admitted he failed to properly confirm the correct level of surgery, according to the Colorado Medical Board, which called the error substandard care.. Texas surgeons Dr. Randall Kirby and Dr. Robert Henderson became convinced that fellow physician Christopher Duntsch was so incompetent it was criminal. In 1993, in the year of Andr Ren Roussimoff's passing, on January 20th, William J. Clinton became the 42nd President of the United States. Clinton won 43.01% of the popular vote to Bush's 37.45%. Duntschs story was first told in a podcast also titled Dr Death released in September 2018 by Wondery, a studio now owned by Amazon. Today, some physicians also see Texas as a place to leave their pasts behind. Prodigal Son actress Molly Griggs takes on the role of Wendy Young, who was Duntsch's girlfriend and is the mother of his kids. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Here's a look at all the major Dr. Death characters and their real-life counterparts. Adding to those complications is the fact that in Texas, "I felt he was a serial killer and serial maimer. (An exclusive clip is shown above.) Right away, Kirby noticed that Duntsch's technique was flawed: instead of using a scalpel to delicately remove a damaged disc, he went in with a grabbing instrument. Prosecutor Michelle Shughart also presented to the court a 2011 email from Duntsch in which he wrote that he was "ready to leave the love and kindness and goodness and patience that I mix with everything else that I am and become a cold-blooded killer," according to CBS. In Texas, doctors are required to report felony convictions within 30 days. The new steps are the TMBs effort to better meet that profile information requirement, a spokesperson later clarified. What is the current COVID risk in your county? As the series depicts, the latter charge was important because it carried the widest breadth of sentencing options. Nonetheless, a jury found Duntsch guilty of the injury to an elderly person charge after about four hours of deliberating on 14 February 2017, TheDallas Morning News reported at the time. Would you want to know if your doctor has been disciplined and why? Those actions will include a note that it was not disclosed by the physician, but instead, by a third party like the Federation of State Medical Boards. "He explained to me that he was the best spine surgeon in Dallas," Dr. Kirby said in a 2019 episode of 'License To Kill.' Copyright 1999-2023 AncientFaces, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He destroyed the lives of essentially every single patient that he touched. Few states provide information on malpractice payouts, hospital adverse actions, criminal convictions and information from other states that patients would likely want to see to make informed healthcare decisions. But unfortunately, sometimes doctors can be evil and twisted. Erwin Center demolition to be completed in 2024, Amazon funding computer science education for students, Effects of maternal mortality on the family, Rethinking cultural competency in hospitals, APD: Car found in Lady Bird Lake overnight, Week starts with sunshine, ends with storms, Austin neighborhood has 3 house fires in nine months, Pitching, defense lead UT to series win over TCU, Anthropos Arts celebrates 25 years of free lessons, National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day: Where you can adopt, Austin snaps long goalless streak in 2-2 draw, Coburn, Ojomo, Johnson picked on last day of NFL, Austin officials sued over Statesman funding plan. Why Peacock's Removal of Controversial WWE Content Is A Bad Move, Why Harrison Ford Replaced Alec Baldwin As Jack Ryan, Succession Season 4 Episode 6 Recap: 6 Biggest Story Reveals & WayStar Twists, Jeffrey Dean Morgan Plays The Perfect Supe In The Boys Season 4 Fan Art, Chicago Fire Season 11 Finale Story Details Are Bad News For Severide Comeback Hopes. Help paint a picture of Andr so that he is always remembered. He also completed a spine fellowship program despite participating in fewer than 100 surgeries over his four years of residency. Duntschs trial revolved around the latter charge. When Henderson looked at Efurd's post-operative X-rays and later opened her up for surgery, he was astonished by what he found: misplaced screws, a severed nerve root, and several holes drilled into her spine. To get a pair of high-waisted jeans that are as comfortable as they are fashionable, find a pair with added elastane, Lycra or spandex. He has formed a group made up of several key players involved in the Dr. Death saga all still pushing for change and greater protection for patients. BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, Best Mothers Day Gifts for moms obsessed with books, What you need to know ahead of the May 6 election, Share your TxTag troubles & be part of the solution, KXANs beloved Kaxan dies after brain cancer battle. It will not be retroactive, at least for now. Another surgeon, Randall Kirby, contacted Henderson with similar concerns. They also blamed his actions on poor medical training and lack of oversight at the hospitals where he worked. "Dr. Death" is available to stream on Peacock now. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! His offices are located at 9080 Harry Hines Boulevard, Suite 210 in Dallas, Texas. Alec Baldwin as Robert Henderson, Christian Slater as Randall Kirby. Bush who was seeking his second term. BY ANCESTRY.COM, Ellerbe, Richmond County, North Carolina 28338, United States. Anybody with any basic understanding of anatomy wouldnt have done what he did.. Dr. Randall Kirby and Dr. Robert Henderson were the two men who did everything in their power to take down Duntsch. The patient died. Where did your affordable housing money go? A KXAN investigation found Texas patients arent getting all the information they need about some doctors histories. Grenoble, Isere County, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes France. , starring Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater, are both available to stream on Peacock now. I think he was a product of nurture in his family and his upbringing that sort of emboldened that narcissistic sociopathy and he was absolutely a product of the system he came up in because they also enabled that narcissismnot because they were doing something wrong but because they saw in him what he truly was, which was a brilliant researcher. Wendy has reportedly been keeping a low-profile life since ending her relationship with Duntsch and since he went to prison. In "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story," a new docuseries streaming now on Peacock, the victims who were maimed by Christopher Duntsch are front and center. On Jan. 11, 2012, Dr. Kirby was. residence at the University of Tennessee, managed to operate again and wreak more medical havoc, disturbing email he sent to his former assistant Kimberly Morgan. Who Is Randall Kirby? As a result, he had to attend a program for impaired physicans, reportedProPublica. "The embarrassment is just going to keep growing over this," Laura Harth, the campaign director at Safeguard Defenders, told Newsweek. Or, whether they had a criminal record? asked PSAN Board Chair Lisa McGiffert. The 51-year-old recently starred in the USA true crime series, Dirty John, opposite Connie Britton. Dr. Henderson had seen a lot, but he wasn't prepared for this. It helps me to actually have a handhold on more specific cases and situations that have actually occurred and are occurring in Texas, he said, after reviewing KXANs findings. The closing scene of Dr. Death drives home that the series is based on real events, with an epilogue confirming Duntsh's incarceration and commemorating those that gave testimony to put the doctor behind bars. Duntsch had mistaken part of Glidewell's esophagus for a tumor and removed it. Long before he became a neurosurgeon, the young Christopher Duntsch had dreams of playing college football, but he didn't make the grade at two separate colleges. Dr. Robert Henderson, a Dallas orthopedic surgeon, had heard the name of neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch mentioned with alarm before their paths ever crossed. We'll connect you with others who know the person you follow. Despite being robbed of his mobility, Summers refused to testify against Duntsch in one of the most heartbreaking moments of the Peacock TV show. Dr. Henderson had seen a lot, but he wasn't prepared for this. KXAN compared the TMBs two-year reporting requirement to 10 other states including Florida, New York, California and Colorado. A Florida doctor was reprimanded in 2019 for prescribing excessive quantities of Oxycodone and other opioids without adequately assessing a patients complaints, symptoms and medical history. Ultimately, 31 of his 38 patients were left maimed, paralyzed, seriously injured, or dead after they were operated on by him. "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story" and the scripted drama "Dr. Death", starring Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater, are both available to stream on Peacock now. Christopher Daniel Duntsch is a former neurosurgeon nicknamedDr. Death for themurder of two of his patients and the maiming of 30 others while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Physician profiles must contain a description of any disciplinary action against the physician by a medical licensing board of another state, among other things, according to the Texas Occupations Code (Sec. Duntsch, who declined KXANs multiple requests for an interview, was sentenced to life in prison on Feb. 20, 2017. There is an old saying: Gone to Texas. Two hundred years ago, before Texas became a state, the area that was once part of Mexico was seen by Americans in the South as a place to start over. Outlaws running from the law along with those trying to escape debt collectors, or other personal and legal problems all came looking for a fresh start, according to the University of Texas at Austin. Two of his patients died; at least two others now need wheelchairs after losing mobility. Photo: Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. "He doesn't have the gravitas or body of work to be able to make that statement.". For a few years, he worked at a company focused on cell-based therapy. It suggests there is no absolute oversight and begs the question: Does this law, and the system, have any teeth? As described in the Dr. Death series and podcast, neurosurgeons typically take part in more than 1,000 surgeries during their residency. That patient, Barry Morguloff, reports ProPublica, was left with bone fragments in his spinal canal and experienced constant pain and was temporarily confined to a wheelchair following the procedure. Id call him a sociopath.. His defence team argued that he was merely a bad surgeon, not a criminal. The next patient he operated on, Kelli Martin, died from blood loss after Duntsch cut a major artery, according to TheTexas Observer. Some physicians were disciplined following criminal charges including driving drunk, domestic violence, possession of a controlled substance and operating a firearm while intoxicated, KXAN found. "I've looked at the imaging and I can't hardly even believe what I'm seeing," Henderson says. 154.006). Just a few days later, a jury sentenced him to life in prison. The first season consists of 10 episodes that explore Duntschs background as well as his medical career. Death saga.. It's a show packed with jaw-dropping moments so what should fans know about the real Dr. Duntsch? A man who was a victim of other people's bad work and bad behavior. He had severed a major artery in her spine during a minor operation. A former colleague found a horror show when he performed follow-up surgery on one of Duntschs patients: Screws meant for her spine driven instead into muscle tissue, three holes in bone where Duntsch had repeatedly tried to set a screw, and a completely missing nerve root that Duntsch apparently amputated, leaving the woman unable to move her leg., Born in Montana and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Duntsch initially pursued an athletic career in US football doggedly so, according to former classmates. In 2017, Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison. "WhenI would touchthe screws and rods, they justmoved," Henderson says in the docuseries. Death podcast, which was heard by an estimated 60 million people, and portrayed by Alec Baldwin in a Peacock miniseries with the same title, Henderson today is now semi-retired. Of the cold-blooded killer email, defence attorney Robbie McClung said the tone was unclear and Duntsch could have been sarcastic in the message to Morgan. Ultimately, he was found guilty of injury to an elderly person in relation to Efurd's injuries. AncientFaces is a 100% free and family-friendly community to share memories and connect with others to discover more about Uncovering Our Shared Memories: An Introduction to the Community Standards at AncientFaces She failed when her gun wouldn't fire. If youve ever had a conviction, you cant get a license,' Carlton said. In my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, he says in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". We share yesterday, to build meaningful connections today, and preserve for tomorrow. Kirby would soon be joined on his mission to keep Duntsch from harming anyone else by Dr. Robert Henderson, a widely respected orthopedic surgeon specializing in spine health. Duntsch was new to the hospitals staff, and just starting to establish his practice, according to a new Oxygen series License to Kill, which premieres Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/PT with an episode about Duntsch. After a months-long investigation, Duntschs licence to practise medicine was permanently revoked. Kirby first became aware of Dr. Duntsch brutalizing his patients after assisting on surgery in which Duntsch misused medical tools to the point of endangering the patient's life. Click the states in red to learn about some of the disciplined doctors KXAN found currently licensed in Texas with a clean disciplinary record. Kirby had worked with Duntsch once and vowed never to do it again. When he was applying for jobs, however, Duntsch looked like the perfect neurosurgeon. After KXAN started asking questions, the Texas Medical Board promised changes. So when the administrator of Hendersons hospital asked him to evaluate the post-op condition of a third Duntsch patient, my antennas were up, he says. It was an atrocity. Our team searched through thousands of disciplinary records, spanning more than a dozen states, to discover some physicians are coming to Texas to leave their pasts behind. 1 birth, 1 death, View Nobody from the Texas Medical Board would give a clear and direct answer when asked, multiple times, why it is not fully following the law when it comes to publishing out-of-state disciplinary actions. While many people are familiar with Duntsch's story from the Dr. Both Dr. Henderson and Dr. Kirby are still practicing physicians in the Dallas area. And it took other physicians to listen to the victims, and to see the bizarre pattern of unfathomable errors Duntschleft behind in those patients' bodies, for officials to finally take action. In the Dr. Death television adaptation, as in real life, they felt his incompetence verged on something far more sinister. As a result, the patient did not receive continuous respiratory monitoring and developed a brain disorder caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. Speaking to Newsweek, showrunner Patrick Macmanus said: "I believe that he was a product of his nature, as a narcissistic sociopath. Right now, he said, the public isnt getting the information they need to determine who they want to be treated by., Asked if KXANs findings suggest a systemic failure to protect patients, Henderson replied: By definition, yes.. Robb did consult extensively with Shughart, the Dallas County Assistant District Attorney who led the prosecution against Duntsch. They also argued that he was motivated by money to continue operating despite his poor performance. AncientFaces is a place where our memories & family stories live. Because he knew that there would be legal action taken in such an extreme case, Henderson had the forethought to bring in someone to record his procedure as he went in and removed the hardware from Efurd's body. However, by law, this information should already be public. I think their priorities are out of line, according to my experience with the [Texas] Medical Board during this Dr. Duntsch/Dr. Duntsch was hit with six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (aka his surgical tools) in 2015. I just went up the chain of command, Kirby tells PEOPLE. An "In Memoriam" tribute for him is shown at the end of the final episode of the Peacock series. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Portrayed by Christian Slater as a comedic foil to SNL regular Alec Baldwin's stoic Dr. Henderson, the real Randall Kirby appears much more reserved. Eventually, after repeated letters, calls, and acts of whistleblowing, Henderson and Kirby attracted the attention of the Dallas District Attorney's office who agreed to prosecute Duntsch on charges of assault and harm to an elderly person, specifically Mary Efurd, a 71-year-old patient who suffered a botched back surgery. By the end of his residency, he had finished less than 100 operations; the average neurosurgeon is expected to perform around 1,000 by the end, according to the outlet. 1 in heat-related pet deaths, New parking meters, price increase at Zilker Park, Air quality awareness: Austins problem pollutants. In 2017, he was convicted of maiming Efurd and sentenced to life in prison, where he remains today. In my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, Dr. Randall Kirbysays of Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAN) In Dallas, the same city where Christopher Duntsch once operated more like a butcher according to his former anesthesiologist than a skilled surgeon, Dr. Robert Henderson is still fighting to fix the system that allowed Duntsch to keep practicing. His privileges were retracted less than one week later, following the death of Brown and the maiming of Efurd. All eight episodes are streaming on Peacock now. (Courtesy Peacock) Duntsch, who declined KXAN's multiple requests for an interview, was. Duntsch made some progress but lost his eligibility to play football after enrolling at University of Memphis, having transferred through multiple universities. However, his admission that they took cocaine the night before his surgery was a key factor in stripping Duntsch of his medical license. ADVERTISEMENT Also in 2011, court testimony would later reveal, Duntsch wrote to his assistant and ex-girlfriend in an email: Unfortunately, you cannot understand that I am building an empire and I am so far outside the box that the Earth is small and the sun is bright.