The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "surgery" ...
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Transplant Patients at Risk
Hundreds of people's lives were put in danger because of how Kaiser Permanente mishandled paper work after opening a kidney transplant center in San Francisco in 2004.
Tags: surgery; fraud; medicaid; medicare; organ sharing
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Troubles at Stony Brook University Medical Center
Newsday investigates serious issues in medical care at Stony Brook University Medical Center. They uncovered trouble including the "unexpected deaths of three children, (which) spurred investigations by federal, state and local agencies, forced the shutdown of one of the implicated medical departments at the hospital and inspired a legislative proposal to establish a new oversight board for the hospital."
Tags: Stony Brook University Medical Center; pediatric cardiac surgery; surgery complications
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Ugly Road to Beauty
Many Americans who are looking for cheap plastic surgery go to Mexico to find it. Gomez found that most clinics are uncredited and hire surgeons who are uncertified or are simply poor at the job. Those who want to get plastic surgery in Mexico are advised to do their homework before departing.
Tags: plastic suregery; beauty; surgical procedures; cosmetic surgery; physicians; doctors; medicine
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Patel's disturbing record at Kaiser stayed hidden for years
In April 2005, Dr. Jayant Patel, who formerly had been a surgical star in Portland when he handled thousands of cancer and abdominal surgeries at Kaiser Permanente NW, surfaced as the subject of Australian media accounts, where patients called him "Dr. Death" after a string of botched surgeries. This was the trigger for a six-month investigation by the Oregonian, revealing that Kaiser had known about Patel's problems, waited years to address them, paid out millions of dollars in damages to his patients and failed to report malpractice allegations against him as the law required.
Tags: CAR; Jayant Patel; Kaiser Permanente; Dr. Death; medicine; surgery; malpractice
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Bad Practices Net Hospitals More Money
This three part series delves into the various problems that plague Medicare. One issue that comes up is how the system is set up so that hospitals get more money for each visit, even if those extra visits are a result of an infection picked up in an unsanitary ward. As a result, the highest quality health care providers end up with substantially less funding. The articles also touch on how the Medicare system encourages unnecessary surgery and a possible conflict of interest with the hospital inspectors.
Tags: Medicare; Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization; American Medical Association; hospital inspections; doctors; clinics; HMOs; insurance
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Rent a Patient
In this hidden camera investigation, ABC News Primetime uncovers the nationwide medical insurance scam that sends healthy people to surgery for profit. So far, recruiting people to have unnecessary procedures done has cost the insurance industry billions of dollars in fraudulent claims. Recruiters pull people in with offers of free cosmetic surgery and, in many cases, they are required to have the expensive procedures far from home. "The story resulted in the indictment of one surgery center, where ABC News correspondent John Quinones was offered money to have surgery. On the day our report aired, the FBI raided that facility and three others."
Tags: medical insurance scams; suspicious claims; healthcare; cosmetic surgery; insurance fraud
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Scarred for Life
This investigation found that it is fairly common in San Francisco for phony doctors to use beauty shops as a place to perform illegal cosmetic procedures. The doctors do cosmetic surgeries ranging from collagen injections to breast enlargement, even though they are largely unlicensed to do those procedures. As a result, many of their patients are facing serious health problems.
Tags: medical license; underground surgery; beauty salons; malpractice
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Dying to be Beautiful
This investigation looks at how Florida's Department of Health and Board of Medicine rarely disciplines cosmetic surgeons whose botched procedures are responsible for the deaths of their patients. One particular doctor settled out of court for several malpractice cases, botched numerous procedures, and was responsible for the death of one of his patients. However, despite complaints, the Department of Health and Board of Medicine did nothing to him or his practice. As a result of this investigation, the doctor in question had his license immediately suspended and a criminal investigation followed.
Tags: cosmetic surgery; Department of Health and Board of Medicine; patient death; medical malpractice; HIPAA; Florida Public Records law
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Living with LASIK
This two part investigation found that thousands of patients who went through LASIK surgery have their vision and their lives seriously damaged. WFLO-TV looks into the Ladarvision Laser made and marketed by ALCON to find out why so many people have to be retreated and end up with destroyed vision. Some doctors say these machines can cause patients to see double vision, halo, glare, and not being able to see at night.
Tags: LASIK; eyesight; ALCON; eye clinic; laser vision correction surgery; patients complaints; Ladarvision laser; ophthalmologist
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Ethical problems plagued brain donations in Maine
This investigation documented the many problems and flaws with a brain-harvesting program run by the state. Problems range from the fact that the man who coordinated the program was paid on a "per-brain basis" and used unethical tactics to solicit consent from families of the deceased. Furthermore, the state medical examiner was linked to both the brain harvester and the researchers who used the brains.
Tags: surgery; transplants; organ donors; tissue banks; research