Charged with malpractice by the state, being sued by grieving families for wrongful death... but back to practicing medicine.
That’s unnerving to multiple patients and professionals who have come across a Las Vegas area doctor.
Some claim his treatments have altered, even ended lives.
Darcy Spears investigates.
INVESTIGATION FOR MALPRACTICE--IS NOW RE-ACTIVATING IT -TOHELP DURING THE CORONAVIRUS.A LOT OF PATIENTS AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS SAY THAT'S ABAD IDEA.THEY TELL 13 CHIEF INVESTIGATORDARCY SPEARS HE'S ALREADY HURTTOO MANY PEOPLE.24:29 JUDY: IT'S ALTEREDEVERYTHING IN MY LIFE.I DON'T FEEL FREEDOM, YOU KNOW?JUDY HOGUE CAN BARELY DRESSHERSELF.SOMETIMES SHE CAN BARELYSTAND.SHE'S ONLY 70, BUT CAN'T GETAROUND WITHOUT A WALKER, CAN'TDRIVE AND HAS PERMANENT DAMAGETO THE PART OF HER BRAIN THATCONTROLS HEARING AND BALANCE.25:00 JUDY: I CAN'T EVEN PICKUP A BOX WITH TWO HANDS.BUTT TO 30:45 (SHOT ON WALKER):ALL THE LITTLE THINGS YOU TAKEFOR GRANTED ARE GONE.ALL BECAUSE OF TREATMENT FOR ANINFECTION AFTER A DOG BITE INDECEMBER 2018.SHE WENT TO DR.DHAVAL SHAH, THE OWNER ANDSUPERVISING PHYSICIAN OFCLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASESPECIALISTS--OR CIDS.JUDY WENT DAILY TO THE CLINICNEAR SMOKE RANCH AND TENAYA FORINTRAVENOUS ANTIBIOTICS.26:21 DARCY: WHAT KIND OF CAREDO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT?JUDY: CARELESS CARE, I GUESS.I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, ITCERTAINLY WASN'T APPROPRIATE.IT WASN'T GOOD.THE SIDE EFFECTS SENT HER TOTHE EMERGENCY ROOM, BUT CIDSSTAFF KEPT HER TREATMENT THESAME.MEDICAL RECORDS SHOW A"PERMANENT DEFICIT" TO THEVESTIBULAR PORTION OF JUDY'SBRAIN THAT DOCTORS SAY IS DUETO ANTIBIOTIC TOXICITY.24:06 JUDY: EVERYTHING...EVERYTHING I DO IS A STRUGGLE.KARIE CATALANO KNOWS ABOUTSTRUGGLE TOO.SHE LOST HER DAUGHTER KALIEDREW ALSO A PATIENT OFDOCTOR SHAH'S.THE PAIN TOO OVERBEARING FORHER TO DISCUSS OPTING TOMAKE A STATEMENT THROUGH HERLAWYER.8:03:32 MATTHEWHOFFMANN/ATTORNEY: HERSTATEMENT WAS: "HOW WOULD IDESCRIBE MY DAUGHTER KALIE?" INEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLIONYEARS I WOULD HAVE TO WRITETHIS - I'M NOT SUPPOSED TOOUTLIVE MY CHILDREN.MATTHEW HOFFMANN REPRESENTSCATALANO.8:03:41 MATTHEW READINGSTATEMENT: MY BEAUTIFUL KALIEWAS AND IS A STRONG,ARTICULATE, FREE SPIRITED YOUNGLADY WHO ALWAYS HAD A SMILE ONHER FACE WHEREVER SHE WAS.ON FEBRUARY 13,2019 MYSELF ANDMY FAMILY'S LIFE CHANGEDWASN'T MADE.A DAY DOESN'TGO BY WITHOUT REPLAYING KALIE'SLAST WEEK OF LIFE.MY HEART HURTS THINKING ABOUTIF ONLY THAT PHONE CALL WASMADE, IF ONLY AN EMERGENCYCONTACT WAS CALLED, IF ONLY IWAS CALLED.
IF ONLY.KALIE WAS 24 YEARS OLD WHEN SHEDIED.COURT RECORDS ACCUSE DR.SHAH AND HIS PHYSICIAN'SASSISTANT OF FAILURE TO REVIEWHER LAB RESULTS, WHICHSHOWED CRITICALLY ELEVATEDLEVELS OF POTASSIUM IN HERBLOOD.5:09 MATTHEW: ACCORDING TO OUREXPERT, EVERYBODY IN THEMEDICAL PROFESSION KNOWS THATTHAT IS A DEVASTATINGLY AWFUL,EXTREMELY HIGH CRITICAL VALUE.KALIE'S FAMILY SAYS NO ONECALLED HER OR THEM ABOUT THERESULTS OR THE IMMINENT DANGERTO HER HEALTH.THE PHONE CALL FROM A P.A.CAME ONE DAY AFTER KALIE DREWDIED.2:25 MATTHEW: MY CLIENT'SDAUGHTER HAD CRITICAL VALUESTHAT WERE IN BLACK AND WHITEAND HAD THEY BEEN RELAYED ITCOULD HAVE PREVENTED A DEATH.KALIE'S FAMILY IS NOW SUINGDOCTOR SHAH.JUDY PLANS TO DO THE SAME.47:26 ANDREW: THIS IS CERTAINLYNEGLIGENT MEDICAL CARE.ANDREW THOMAS IS JUDY'S LAWYER.46:46 ANDREWEWEWHOMAS/JUDY'SATTORNEY: A PATIENT IS SUPPOSEDTO BE ABLE TO TRUST HER DOCTORAND WHAT HAPPENED TO JUDY WAS ABETRAYAL OF THAT TRUST.A BETRAYAL DESCRIBED BY SOMEWHO WORKED ALONGSIDE DR.SHAH.13 INVESTIGATES HAS SPOKEN TONUMEROUS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALSAFFILIATED WITH CIDS, INCLUDINGDR.KRISTI KAMINSKY WHO WORKED INTHE CLINIC'S WOUND CAREDEPARTMENT.SHE QUIT BECAUSE OF WHAT SHESAW.37:49 DR.K: AS DOCTORS WE TAKE AHIPPOCRATIC OATH AND OUR FIRSTTHING ISTO DO NO HARM AND I SAW TOOMANY PATIENTS NOT GETTINGBETTER.THE STATE BOARD OF MEDICALEXAMINERS IS INVESTIGATING DR.SHAH BASED ON COMPLAINTS FILEDBY OTHER HEALTHCAREPROFESSIONALS.THIS ONE DESCRIBES "FRAUDULENTPRACTICES" AT CIDS...NAMING 22 PATIENTS WHOALLEGEDLY RECEIVED SUBSTANDARDCARE THAT LED TO EMERGENCY ROOMVISITS, NO IMPROVEMENT ORWORSENING ILLNESS, UNNECESSARYMEDICAL COSTS AND UNNECESSARILYPROLONGED TREATMENT.38:56 DR.K: SOMEONE LIKE THIS SHOULD NOTBE PRACTICING MEDICINE, IN MYOPINION.THE STATE FILED TWO PENDINGCOMPLAINTS, FORMALLY CHARGINGDR.SHAH WITH MALPRACTICE.BOTH INVOLVE PATIENTS WHO DIED.DR.SHAH DECLINED AN ON-CAMERAINTERVIEW ON HIS ATTORNEY'SADVICE, BUT HIS LAWYERS SENT ASTATEMENT WHICH SAYS IN PART,"THE WELL-BEING OF DR.SHAH'S PATIENTS HAS ALWAYS BEENHIS PARAMOUNT CONCERN.SHAH RECENTLY REACHED ASETTLEMENT WITH THE BOARD OFMEDICINE'S INVESTIGATIVECOMMITTEE" WHICH IS "PENDINGFINAL APPROVAL BY THE FULLBOARD...HE INTENDS TO WORK HARD TO EARNAND KEEP THE TRUST OF THE BOARDAND THE PUBLIC.IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE HISSINCERITY, HE HAS STEPPED AWAYFROM HIS PRACTICE AND ISCURRENTLY DEVOTING TIME ANDRESOURCES, ON A VOLUNTEERBASIS, TO ASSIST WITH THERESPONSE TO THE UNPRECEDENTEDCOVID-19 PANDEMIC.HE VALUES THE OPPORTUNITY TOTREAT THE CITIZENS OF NEVADA."DARCY TAG: ALLEGATIONS OFSUBSTANDARD MEDICAL CARE ISJUST ONE CLOUD HANGING OVER DR.SHAH'S PRACTICE.WE'VE UNCOVERED BILLINGDISCREPANCIES, DOCUMENTED LABORDISPUTES, EVEN A FAILEDMARIJUANA TESTING LAB.IS THE CLINIC PUTTING PROFITOVER PATIENT CARE?
MY SPECIALREPORT CONTINUES TOMORROW.DARCY SPEARS, 13 INVESTIGATES.THE UNCERTAINTY OF FUTURE JOB
Dr. Dhaval Shah has been charged with malpractice by the state and is being sued, but he is back to practicing medicine.
A 13 Investigations 6 months in the making. An infectious disease doctor who voluntarily deactivated his medical license while..