UTHealth defends Houston surgeon accused of manipulating information to deny liver transplants at Memorial Hermann

HOUSTON – The UTHealth system is defending its famend transplant surgeon accused of manipulating donor database data in a method that might deny liver transplants to a few of its personal sufferers.

In a press release the day after the New York Instances broke the story, UTHealth Houston writes:

Dr. Steve Bynon is an exceptionally proficient and caring doctor, and a pioneer in stomach organ transplantation. In accordance with the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, Bynon’s survival charges and surgical outcomes are among the many finest within the nation, even whereas treating sufferers with higher-than-average acuity and illness complexity. UTHealth Houston is happy with the various contributions Dr. Bynon and his workforce have made to our college, our educational and scientific transplant applications, and to the sector of transplant drugs. Our college and workers members, together with Dr. Bynon, are helping with the inquiry into Memorial Hermann’s liver transplant program and are dedicated to addressing and resolving any findings recognized by this course of.

Dr. Bynon is employed by the UT Well being Science Heart in Houston.

RELATED: Memorial Hermann has stopped accepting liver and kidney transplants. Right here’s why

In simply the previous two weeks, Memorial Hermann Hospital shut down first its liver transplant program after which its kidney transplant program.

When the liver transplant program was stopped, the hospital mentioned it was as a result of they’d discovered “a sample of irregularities with donor acceptance standards inside the United Community for Organ Sharing (UNOS) transplant data database for sufferers awaiting a liver transplant.”

Three days in the past, when the kidney transplant program was deactivated, the hospital mentioned it was “as a result of there’s a shared management construction over each the liver and kidney transplant applications … as we consider a brand new doctor management construction.”

Dr. Bynon oversaw each transplant applications for Memorial Hermann.

Memorial Hermann tells us all their transplant docs are beneath contract and work for the College of Well being Science Heart at Houston. The hospital says their transplant care coordinators are speaking one-on-one with each affected person and going over choices for ongoing care, which for some may embrace transitioning to a different transplant program

The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers confirmed they’re investigating the allegations:

“On the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers, we acknowledge the severity of this allegation. We’re working throughout the Division to handle this matter now. We’re dedicated to defending affected person security and equitable entry to organ transplant companies for all sufferers. We’re working diligently to handle this subject with the eye it deserves, together with work on the Well being Sources and Providers Administration (HRSA) by means of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Community (OPTN) and the Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Providers (CMS) – that are deployed on website to analyze. Working with our federal and state companions, HHS will pursue all applicable enforcement and compliance actions to the fullest extent out there beneath related laws and insurance policies to guard the security and integrity of the organ procurement and transplantation system.