Two of his patients died; at least two others now need wheelchairs after losing mobility. Duntsch had mistaken part of Glidewell's esophagus for a tumor and removed it. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Henderson learned the third patient had walked in for surgery two days earlier but been unable to bear weight on her legs in the aftermath and was in excruciating pain, he says. We also encourage the public and the media to bring any profile issues to our attention just as you did.. Some of them do. 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. when he died at the age of 46. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Memphis College of Medicine with an MD as well as a PhD. See What AncientFaces Does, During his 2017 trial a disturbing email he sent to his former assistant Kimberly Morgan was presented as evidence against him. They would later have two children. For Dr. Kirby, that speaks volumes. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Andr's lifetime. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. AnnaSophia Robb, 27, portrays Michelle Shughart, the assistant district attorney on Dr. Death's case. Roussimoff family member is 47. Who is Andr Roussimoff to you? "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. He even left his friend Jerry Summers a quadriplegic after a botched operation. Death Showrunner Breaks Down Turning Hit Podcast Into New Drama Series On Peacock, AnnaSophia Robb Stars In New Series Dr. After his plea for Dr. Duntsch's immediate suspension fell on deaf ears, he teamed up with Dr. Randall Kirby to begin recording Duntsch's surgeries to obtain enough evidence to bring Dr. Dunstch to trial. two fellow doctors who were determined to bring Duntsch to justice. It was as if he knew everything to do, Henderson said of Duntsch to ProPublica, and then hed done virtually everything wrong.. Henderson and Kirby, working in the same medical orbit, eventually realized they were both aware of Duntsch's catastrophic surgical complications. And to be able to take actions quicker to protect the public.. A B.A. It is unclear after speaking with him why the public profiles for the physicians KXAN identified had not been updated. 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. 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.. He operated on his own friend and surgically detached his spinal column from the base of his skull, effectively decapitating him and leaving him paralysed from the neck down, GQ listed. She was later pronounced dead. Ellis Unit in Huntsville and will be eligible for parole in 2045 when he is 74. But if Duntsch came off as arrogant to Kirby early on, their next interaction would prove much worse. Theyre not meant to treat viruses, however. Add Andr's family friends, and his friends from childhood through adulthood. Most state medical boards across the country, including Texas, provide incomplete information about a physicians practicing history, according to a report released last month by the Patient Safety Action Network, a national advocacy group. I told them that he was bad news.. I think they have their priorities wrong, Henderson said. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. It is a sentiment echoed by other patient advocates who believe it is a matter of when not if., Well, said Henderson, I think the odds of it are pretty darn high.. Court testimony would later show that behavior had continued. A key piece of prosecution evidence wound up being a video Henderson had recordedof his attempt to repair Efurd's original operation. He had his goal, his sight on a goal and whatever it took to get there, one unnamed classmate told ProPublica. Friends can be as close as family. in the family tree section to add relatives, or press the "X" But I dont understand procrastination.. She worked with Dr Henderson and Dr Kirby to bring Duntsch to justice, talking to everyone from his life, both from after he became a doctor and from when he was still training to be one. But before he can stop him, Kirby is called away to assist in a different surgery. We want to believe we're in safe hands when we're with a doctor. As seen in Dr. Death, Henderson went so far as to question whether Duntsch was an imposter, teaming up with Randall Kirby, a former colleague of Duntsch's at Baylor, in a bid to expose him. or visit Help / Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) to discover more about the community. Filing a malpractice claim is already a daunting and overwhelming process, and the cap on non-economic damages presented affected patients with another constraint in seeking recourse. I think it probably depended on the patient because there were also a handful of surgeries that were fine.". He went on to attend the University of Memphis before heading to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to earn his M.D. He will be eligible for parole in 2045. 5 brands that consistently make great Chromebooks, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day, NFL players daughter drowns after falling in pool, Skydiver dies after parachute malfunction, Maternal mortality bill passes Texas House, Report: Texas only behind Nebraska in housing spending, TX Senate passes medical billing transparencybill, Sweeping bills on teacher pay, school funds pass. 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. 1 birth record, View The medical drama has been a big hit for Peacock, garnering praise for its taut portrayal of the medical industry safeguard failures and the doctors that fought to correct them. Prodigal Son actress Molly Griggs takes on the role of Wendy Young, who was Duntsch's girlfriend and is the mother of his kids. How Other Doctors Tried and Failed to Stop Texas' 'Dr. Death' 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. The Arkansas Medical Board reported he was a danger to the public and himself, and took actions against him for violations of the Medical Practice Act consisting of gross negligence and ignorant malpractice after he was accused of prescribing excessive amounts of controlled substances to himself, family and patients, as well as multiple violations for habitual, intemperate, or excessive use of narcotics and alcohol. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Joshua Jackson (right) portrays Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr Death, on the new Peacock limited series Credit: Scott McDermott/Peacock Dawson's Creek heartthrob Jackson stars as the titular character of Dr Death, which ended up becoming Duntsch 's nickname after the accusations came out. But during his residence at the University of Tennessee, cracks would show. Kirby had worked with Duntsch once and vowed never to do it again. Both Dr. Henderson and Dr. Kirby are still practicing physicians in the Dallas area. Where we share what we remember to make discoveries and meaningful connections with others. Would you want to know if your doctor has been disciplined and why? The errors ranged from screws in the wrong places to bone fragments being left in spine canals. While Duntsch was fired this time, he managed to operate again and wreak more medical havoc until his license was finally suspended in summer 2013 and revoked for good in December of that year. What is the current COVID risk in your county? The patient died of an overdose with the cause of death listed as oxycodone toxicity, according to the State of Florida Board of Medicine. Michelle Lee Shughart (played in Dr. DeathbyAnnaSophia Robb) was a young assistant district attorney when she became involved in the Duntsch case. The series stars The Affair's Joshua Jackson as neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch, who is currently serving a life sentence for intentionally maiming patients. next to their name to remove from the family tree. 'Dr. Death': What To Know About True Story Of Christopher Duntsch | USA Click the states in red to learn about some of the disciplined doctors KXAN found currently licensed in Texas with a clean disciplinary record. In Texas, doctors are required to report felony convictions within 30 days. Thats why I went into medicine, was to help people. "He doesn't have the gravitas or body of work to be able to make that statement.". Baldwin, 63, plays a more mature character to his onscreen partner Christian Slaters zany one, with the two pairing up in quest to end Dr Deaths medical career and bring him to justice. In February 2017, Duntsch, 50, was convicted of a first-degree felony for intentionally injuring an elderly victim. But there are a couple cases on the list where were looking into further., Asked why the board is aware of past disciplinary actions but Texas patients are not, Carlton responded by saying, thats one of the things, starting this year, that we want to start doing.. Dr. Deathstars Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater and is a shocking tale of medical malpractice on multiple levels. Could he have permanent brain damage from either chemicals or from some organic reason, meaning a tumor? The 51-year-old recently starred in the USA true crime series, Dirty John, opposite Connie Britton. Ive always fought for patients, Henderson said. 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. "He had a great deal of promise and the tragic side of it, in my opinion, is that if he had never gone the surgery route, I fundamentally believe we would be talking about Christopher Duntsch in a different way.". Another patient of Duntschs, a woman on whom hed operated for a routine herniated disk, ended up bleeding to death in the recovery room.. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He still performs about 50 spinal surgeries a year in the Dallas area. He was called in to repair the damage done to Jeffrey Glidewell on Duntsch's operating table. The new steps are the TMBs effort to better meet that profile information requirement, a spokesperson later clarified. 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. 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An "In Memoriam" tribute for him is shown at the end of the final episode of the Peacock series. It suggests there is no absolute oversight and begs the question: Does this law, and the system, have any teeth? 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. Death, Joshua Jackson On Role Of Surgeon, Christopher Duntsch, In Peacocks Dr. KXAN recently visited Henderson in Fort Worth. What schools or universities did Andr attend? Here's a look at all the major Dr. Death characters and their real-life counterparts. The reality is that most states only provide a sliver of this pertinent information that may tell a doctors history of harming or putting patients at risk.. Henderson urged the hospital to swiftly suspend Duntschs privileges, which it did. 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. Prior disciplinary actions do not disqualify an applicant, Carlton said. Death' First Trailer, 'New Amsterdam' Series Finale: How It Ended and Who Wound Up Together, Texas Boy, 8, Is Home on Family's Ranch with Beloved Cow After Heart Transplant and 453 Days in a Hospital, The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now, Hyperbaric Chambers and Pig Intestines: All the Details of Jay Leno's Treatment for 'Very Severe' Burns, Tulsa Hospital Shooting Suspect Was a Patient Who Had Recent Back Surgery and Targeted His Doctor: Cops.