Could A ‘Dr. Death’ Case Ever Happen In North Carolina?

Decisions concerning our medical care rank among some of the most important choices we make.  But, how much do we really know about our doctors' history of patient care?  And, how much are we as patients entitled to know?   Apparently, North Carolina is among the most transparent in the country in health care  according to a recent study.  In North Carolina disciplinary actions and most criminal offenses must be reported within 60 days.  So, could a 'Dr. Death' case ever happen in North Carolina?

According to an in depth investigation from KXAN in Texas, 'North Carolina patients have access to records and can read reports directly.'  NCMB spokesperson, Jean Fisher Brinkley notes, "If we are aware of an action, then we post it on our website.  And it never goes away."  But, that wasn't the case in Texas where a tragic story unfolded years ago.  In Texas, at least back then, the offenses were reported when doctors renewed licenses every 2 years.  Laws are ever changing, and states, including Texas, promise to revamp as needed.

It's a complicated issue that many states struggle with...transparency.  And, nothing highlights the issues more than a frightening case out of Texas in the mid 2000's that came to be known as 'Dr. Death.'

The Peacock dramatization and subsequent documentary about neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch is literally spine chilling.  So, it's a long sordid tale of a young hot shot neurosurgeon with seemingly stellar credentials and a great deal of arrogance.  And, in a nutshell, in a short amount of time this guy wreaked havoc on the Dallas, Texas medical community.  Dr. Duntsch left a number of patients basically butchered.  Some of his victims suffered horrible outcomes leaving them in more pain and misery than they originally presented.  He left patients paralyzed, maimed, and some even died from what his peers described as 'routine' procedures.

And although we watched the show when it first came out years ago, I decided to re-watch it after another case of a dangerous surgeon, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini was spotlighted in a Netflix series called 'Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife.'  It's scary to think how vulnerable we are as patients, trusting that our specialists have our best interests at heart.  And, the overwhelming majority of times they do.  But, some like Dr. Duntsch and Dr. Macchiarini slip through the cracks.  I couldn't decide if Dr. Duntsch was grossly inept, overly confident and arrogant or a drug-addicted menace, maiming patients on purpose.  Turns, out, he probably was a mix of all that.  He now serves life in prison without a possibility of release until 2045.

But, with proper transparency, this doctor and others like him would likely be stopped sooner.  However, Texas laws at the time prevented that.  And, he continued to operate, hopping from hospital to hospital until peers and patients finally stopped him.  So, it's a sobering cautionary tale that makes us all more aware we need to advocate for ourselves and do careful research.

And, I am very  happy to find that North Carolina is among the most transparent in the country when it comes to medical care.  It's something more states should model if they don't already.  So, could a 'Dr. Death' case ever happen in North Carolina? Hopefully, it's extremely unlikely.

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And The LeapFrog Group just released its 2023 Hospital Safety Grades. They have ranked each hospital in the nation as either an A, B, or C. You can read the full methodology on these scores here. Most of the Charlotte area hospitals received A grades though a few did receive B and even C grades. Does this mean you won't get good care? No. But it's information consumers have a right to know. All grades are the determination of The LeapFrog Group and you can view those and ones from any other city and state in the US here.