A French anesthesiologist, Frédéric Pechier, is on trial for allegedly poisoning 30 patients, resulting in 12 deaths, between 2008 and 2017. The prosecution contends that Pechier intentionally caused cardiac arrests to demonstrate his resuscitation skills and undermine colleagues, a claim Pechier denies. The investigation, which began in 2017, revealed suspicions that Pechier tampered with colleagues’ medical supplies, while also being the first responder during these emergencies. If convicted, Pechier faces life imprisonment, and the trial, expected to be lengthy, involves over 150 civil parties and focuses on the evidence from the cases.
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Zhi Alan Cheng, a doctor in New York City, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for sexually abusing sedated patients at New York-Presbyterian Queens hospital and raping unconscious women at his home. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape and sexual abuse, admitting to abusing seven women. Evidence, including videos, revealed the abuse occurred in both his home and workplace, often involving the use of sedatives. Cheng’s medical license has been revoked, and the hospital cooperated with the investigation.
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Joel Le Scouarnec, a French surgeon, received a 20-year prison sentence for sexually abusing hundreds of patients, primarily children, between 1989 and 2014. The court considered his targeting of vulnerable and sedated victims as an aggravating factor. Despite Le Scouarnec’s admission of guilt and expression of remorse, victims and their families expressed outrage over the sentence’s length and the insufficient societal response to the case. Le Scouarnec, already serving a 15-year sentence for prior offenses, may be eligible for parole by 2030.
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A Guardian investigation reveals that UnitedHealth Group secretly paid nursing homes bonuses to reduce hospital transfers, saving the company millions but potentially jeopardizing resident health. This cost-cutting strategy, involving UnitedHealth medical teams in nearly 2,000 nursing homes, resulted in delayed or avoided hospitalizations in several documented cases, with at least one resident suffering permanent brain damage. The investigation, based on thousands of records and interviews, uncovered UnitedHealth’s focus on minimizing “admits per thousand,” incentivizing care denial. UnitedHealth denies preventing necessary transfers, asserting its program improves outcomes, but whistleblowers and internal documents contradict this claim.
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Video footage revealed Texas doctor Ben Edwards, treating children during a measles outbreak, displayed a measles rash while working in a clinic a week before Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met and praised him. Edwards’ actions, potentially exposing others to the highly contagious disease, are deemed irresponsible by public health experts. Kennedy’s subsequent endorsement of Edwards, who utilized unproven treatments, has drawn sharp criticism and raised concerns about the Secretary’s approach to public health. This incident highlights a conflict between Kennedy’s past anti-vaccine stance and his current role as head of the HHS, particularly amidst a significant measles outbreak.
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Four individuals have been charged in connection with the death of a 5-year-old boy in a hyperbaric chamber explosion. Three face second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges for negligence and disregard for safety protocols, including failure to conduct necessary maintenance and safety checks. The chamber operator faces involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records charges. The Attorney General stated the Oxford Center, where the incident occurred, operated the chamber beyond its intended lifespan and provided unproven treatments, prioritizing profit over patient safety.
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A Georgia woman is suing a fertility clinic after a devastating mix-up resulted in her giving birth to a baby that isn’t biologically hers. Krystena Murray, 38, underwent IVF, selecting a sperm donor she believed matched her desired traits – dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She carried the pregnancy to term and delivered a healthy baby boy in December 2023.
The shock came after the birth when she realized the infant was African American, a stark contrast to her own appearance and the ethnicity she expected based on her chosen donor. This initial concern led to a DNA test, confirming her worst fears: the baby wasn’t genetically related to her.… Continue reading
The 2024 Lown Institute Shkreli Awards highlighted ten egregious examples of healthcare profiteering and dysfunction. The awards recognized practices ranging from the alleged sale of unclaimed body parts by a university health science center to Medicare’s mass billing for urinary catheters, representing an 800% increase. Further awardees included a medical device company employing shady billing practices, a hospital system prioritizing profit over patient care, and a pharmaceutical company marketing a cancer drug at a significantly higher, less effective dose. These cases, selected by a panel of experts, underscore the urgent need for systemic healthcare reform.
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Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, a former Henrico Doctors’ Hospital employee, was arrested and charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse. The charges stem from three infants in the hospital’s NICU sustaining unexplained fractures in late 2024, echoing a similar incident involving four babies in 2023. Following the discovery, the hospital launched an internal investigation, notified authorities, and implemented enhanced security measures including live-streaming and mandatory safety training. Police are currently re-examining both incidents as part of their ongoing investigation.
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I was a health insurance executive. What I saw made me quit. It wasn’t a single event, but a slow dawning realization of the system’s inherent cruelty and the complicity of those within it. The pursuit of profit above all else permeated every decision, every meeting, every strategy session.
It started subtly. The subtle nudges towards denying claims, framed as “cost-saving measures.” The training emphasized identifying “unnecessary expenses,” turning adjusters into soldiers in a war against the insured. Denying a claim from a woman who’d paid premiums for twenty years, citing “pre-existing damage,” was a turning point. It felt profoundly wrong, a betrayal of the very trust the system was built upon.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood