Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Personal Injury Law Blogs -> Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Law

: Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer

TEXAS MEDICAL DREAM TEAM: Invitation Number 4, the doctor who . I'm not sure what to say to this one except he'll love Texas medical mistake protectionist legislation.

By Steve Lombardi

This doctor has a few problems that could potentially result in financial responsibility to patients but Texas will invite him with open arms and fatten his wallet at the same time; because after all it's about attracting the good, the bad and the ugly, at any cost.

Dr. John Van Deren has a criminal defense lawyer hoping his client's criminal legal matter will be resolved. Allegedly they are so confident of something that according to WSAZ-3 they rejected a plea deal. One small problem for the Dream Team Invitation Committee is that the doctor isn't presently practicing medicine in the local hospital.

Do state medical boards protect patients?

The medical board is mum and will say only that Deren's case is under investigation.

King's Daughters Medical Center has a spokesperson that says this 50-year-old doctor is on leave of absence. When you've been busted as a black teenager do they say you're on leave of absence from the hood? By the way KDMC was one of the 100 best companies to work for in 2008. If you doubt me just ask Fortune! Based on this story it seems like it might be too good a place to work.

Dr. Van Deren it seems has another lawyer working on helping him 'keep his medical license'. And it's reported that Dr. Van Deren is 'working with the state's Impaired Physicians Committee, a group that treats and rehabs addicted doctors.' Well if Dr. Van Deren can't practice in Kentucky he certainly will be a welcomed addition to the State of Texas, a state that recognizes the right not to be financially responsible for making medical practice mistakes that result in patients being maimed pretty severely.

What, me worry?

I'm sure with his legal bills he's going to need to save some dough somewhere so where else than with malpractice premiums. Hello TEXAS!

So what are these troubles to which doctors can find themselves and that probably have some effect on patient care? I know what the Texas Medical Association will say, I'm speculating. Sorry I tend to err on the part of the patient. It's a weakness of mine to which I've been unable to find a cure.

Well, here is another news report from Cattletsburg, Kentucky's WSAZ.

'UPDATE: Friday 3/20 @ 10:15
CATTLETSBURG, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A plea agreement for a local doctor arrested on drugs charges was rejected during a hearing in Boyd County Circuit Court Friday morning.

As a result, a May 4th trial date was set for Dr. John Van Deren.

Following the hearing, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Jeremy Clark told WSAZ.com that Van Deren's attorney rejected the plea agreement.

Clark says that agreement would have included diversion and no jail time.

Kentucky State Police charged Van Deren with possession of cocaine, driving under the influence with a suspended license, and a prescription not in a proper container.

According to the KSP report at the time, the doctor failed field sobriety tests. Troopers also said that he admitted to being high on OxyContin and cocaine while he was driving.

Van Deren's attorney left immediately following the hearing, so we were not able to get a comment from him about the case.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for updated information.'

Wow! That's not so good news for his patients. Especially the last heart patient of the day on the day he was arrested. Do you think that maybe this was going on for some time? If the drug task force was following him for possession of illegal narcotics that might indicate he's had a problem for quite some time. Well let's not guess, how about if you read below from The Daily Independent's article of November 6, 2008.

'Catlettsburg — Additional details have emerged regarding the arrest of a local cardiologist on a felony cocaine-possession charge.

Dr. John M. Van Deren was arrested shortly after 9 p.m. Monday by Kentucky State Police after the agency was notified by a federal drug task force in Cabell County, W.Va., that one of its officers was following a vehicle suspected of having narcotics in it, according to a citation filed in Boyd District Court.

KSP Troopers Shane Goodall and Shawn Podunavac located the vehicle traveling eastbound on Interstate 64 near the Coalton exit. Goodall observed the vehicle, a 2008 BMW M3, 'swaying side to side across the center line and over the fog line,' the citation states.

The driver, later identified as Van Deren, pulled off the interstate at the Coalton exit. Goodall approached the car and asked Van Deren to step out.

A sergeant with the drug task force then asked Van Deren if there was 'anything illegal' in the car, and Van Deren replied that there was, the citation states.'

You might want to jump to the conclusion that the good doctor graduated from some two-bit medical school in the Caribbean. Well guess again. He is a graduate of the Ivy League's Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Did you know I volunteered at Butler Hospital, the psychiatric hospital Brown uses for psychiatric rotations for medical students? Yeah, very cool Garth.

Do patients have anything to worry about or are lawyers just trying to scare Texas patients?

Do you think his colleagues might have suspected something was wrong and moved to protect the patients? Remember the patients; these are the people doctors see every day. And what about the hospitals where he worked, they certainly could detect the good doctor had a problem that would affect his patients, wouldn't they? And wouldn't they move quickly to protect the patients? Okay well maybe not but certainly they would let other patients know there might be a concern. Well let's see what they say after the facts are known; do they circle the wagons to protect the patient or the physician? You be the judge.

'Van Deren is a practicing cardiologist at King's Daughters Medical Center, according to the hospital's Web site. He also has privileges at several other area hospitals.

He graduated from Brown University Medical School in 1983 and served an internship and residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

KDMC considers Van Deren's legal problems 'a personal and private matter,' hospital spokesman Tom Dearing said in a statement.

'Doctor Van Deren is an excellent physician who is an important part of this community. We will respect his privacy while he works through this issue.'

Really! A personal and private matter is all that it is? If it might affect a patient's life or quality of life how is that a personal and private matter? What about all those patients who he treated or would have treated had the drug task force not stepped in? You mean no one noticed this personal and private matter before the drug task force did? Wow! In a place like Texas this guy's personal and private matters will be given the money and freedom from worry to really develop into something big.

Today we invite Dr. Vee to the Texas Medical Dream Team. And might I suggest you act fast to send out that invitation, because Hawaii and Utah are close behind and may send an invitation out earlier.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on March 23, 2009 (boomark / email).