The investigation has taken more than two years to complete and involved dozens of interviews and search warrants," Travis Stewart, captain of investigations for the Sheriff's Office, in a statement. "In terms of the lawsuit filed against the plastic surgeon, Geoffrey Kim, M.D. Last summer, her daughter Emmalyn Nguyen, 18, decided to have breast augmentation performed by Greenwood Village doctor Dr. Geoffrey Kim. His conduct was deemed unprofessional. The practitioner's primary taxonomy code is 367500000X with license number 78268 (CO). and his NPI number is 1972644979. 2 years ago. He was charged with "reckless manslaughter and first degree . Even though it will never bring our daughter back, at least this will help others from getting hurt and prevent ruining other families' lives. "I just had kind of a weird feeling," Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told reporters after filing the lawsuit. Medical authorities said Meeker also had an obligation to call for emergency help and get Nguyen to a hospital. Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. A Greenwood Village plastic surgeon and former nurse anesthetist who now face charges in the 2020 death of a woman after she was given anesthesia for surgery gave conflicting stories about what happened and appeared to be blaming each other for what went wrong, an arrest affidavit says. Seven doses of narcan given (although unsure how much whether several different vials or just vials split up into multiple doses. "It is very rare for a prosecutor to bring criminal charges against health care providers," said David Woodruff, an attorney for patient Emmalyn Nguyens family. The anesthesia provider involved, Rex Meeker, became a registered nurse in 1984 and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in 1995. of a same situation where they had an otherwise healthy patient suddenly arrest and they didnt want to call 911 presumably because it would look bad. She's young, she's healthy, she'll be OK, it's just taking her long to wake up.". This tragic case illustrates some common themes that Ive written about over the years, based on my experience in handling medical negligence and wrongful death cases. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 962. On January 9, 2020, the Colorado Medical Board suspended Dr. Kims medical license in an order that found objective and reasonable grounds to believe that he deliberately and willfully violated the Medical Practice Act and/or that the public health, safety, or welfare imperatively required emergency action. in She reported to police that she spoke to both Kim and Meeker who were told "different versions" of what happened and appeared to be blaming each other, the affidavit says. Narcan is a medication that is typically used to reverse drug overdoses. An arrest warrant for Meeker was issued for the October 2020 death of Emmalyn Nguyen. In 2010, the American Society of Anesthesiologists . "To me it's a miracle she pulled through all that and she is still fighting this. Kim did not respond to multiple messages left by CBS4, but his attorney, Kari Hershey, told CBS4 "As a physician, Dr. Kim is not at liberty to comment about any specific patient.". The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that they obtained arrest warrants for Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, and former nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker in connection with the death of 18-year-old Emmalyn Nguyen. Dr. Francis Brusino is an anesthesiologist in Raleigh, NC, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals including UNC Rex Hospital . The second nurse found her with her face turned blue and in cardiac arrest. According to the Board, with 15 minutes of the injection, the CRNA noticed cyanosis (blue color) on the patient that quickly spread to her arms, hands, and torso. He said that is something he would have done sooner if he had known she had not been awake for hours, the affidavit says. In December 9, 2021 order, the Board alleged that the CRNA injected a combination of local anesthetics, both near the maximum of the recommended guidelines, and the patient had an adverse reaction. . ", Emmalyn Nguyen, left, was 18 when she went into a coma and died after saving up thousands of dollars for breast implants from Dr. Geoffrey Kim. (credit: CBS). Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker also faces a charge of manslaughter. According to the Board, the CRNA recommended to the surgeon that they transfer the patient to the hospital but did not attempt to call 911 for over five hours after the patient experience cardiac arrest. The medical boards order found that Kim performed CPR on Nguyen when there was trouble the day of her surgery, but he failed to contact emergency personnel to take her to a hospital for about five hours. and nurse-anesthetist, Rex Meeker, CRNA who caused Emmalyn's catastrophic brain injury on Aug. 1, 2019: that . A warrant has likewise been issued for his arrest, though he is not yet in custody. Nguyen, who reportedly saved up $6,000 for the surgery, went into a coma and died 14 months later. msn back to msn home news Skip To . "We just want you to go home, we're all waiting for you, OK?". If convicted, both could face significant prison time, 9NEWS legal expert Scott Robinson said. 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. There will probably be a civil case next where the burden of proof is less and he'll be roped in again. He went on to say that Kim initially reported that Nguyen had gone into cardiac arrest in front of multiple people and was "directly" transferred to the hospital, the document says. Shes young, shes healthy, shell be okay, its just taking her long to wake up, Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told CBS Denver. Call (602) 795-8700. As a patient, you may be comfortable with the training and competence of a CRNA. "They killed my mom, 100%," said Swenson. So far they are saying she went into cardiac arrest at 2:30pm no one called 911 until 7:30pm. No clue what really happened intraop obviously as the facts are not known, but to have one off the hook and now testifying against the surgeon is a really bad look. When an entire team of healthcare professionals realizes shes in cardiac arrest, they perform CPR then they don't call 911 for five and a half hours. Meeker is facing a manslaughter charge in . Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker was also charged with reckless manslaughter. Her family says she has suffered severe brain damage and will likely remain in this condition for the rest of her life. 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He is a former hospital administrator who represents patients and family members in medical negligence and wrongful death lawsuits all over Texas. 12 months ago. The familys primary interest in seeing this criminal case being pursued is to make sure this doesnt ever happen to anyone else. The motion to dismiss charges against Rex Meeker indicates that prosecution is "no longer in the interests" of justice due to the discovery of new evidence and interviews since the case was filed earlier this year.. In fact, after handling hundreds of medical negligence cases over my legal career, Ive only seen one physician face criminal prosecution and a prison sentence. On Wednesday, Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, a plastic surgeon, turned himself in to authorities accompanied by an attorney, according to the sheriffs office. Contact himby calling 281-580-8800 oremailing him right now. 14420 W Meeker Blvd Ste 211. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She said her daughter, a graduate of Mountain Range High School, was healthy and had saved up for the $6,000 procedure, which many of her friends and family had undergone before. Lynn Fam said a lawsuit won't bring her daughter back but might provide some answers as to what happened. Please enter valid email address to continue. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. "We opened this criminal case in August 2019. She was 18-years-old at the . There has to be some absurdly exceptional circumstances to make this not stink. She went into cardiac arrest after being administered anesthesia, fell into a coma, and died 14 months later. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Changes are necessary to expand rural access to the services of physician anesthesiologists. She told CBS4 that at one point Dr. Kim told her "Everything went fine, the only thing is we didn't proceed with the procedure because her heart rate dropped but she is fine. "In terms of the lawsuit filed against the plastic surgeon, Geoffrey Kim, M.D. General Anesthesiology. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Nguyen's death warrant was issued "after extensive criminal review," the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Dec 20, 2019. If its LAST and the surgeon is the one who injected it then its the surgeons fault in that case. Insurance companies love surgery centers over hospitals and so do surgeons who own them. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Sunshine returns to SoCal on Thursday but cold temps stick around, Woodstock Photos That Make Us Say Whoa!, Wake-Up Weather: AM showers then mild and breezy, Mexican president says Tesla to build plant in Mexico, Twitter rolls out updated 'zero tolerance' policy on violent speech. How on earth is the CRNA off the hook but the surgeon still on? Deputies said Nguyen went in for a surgical procedure at Colorado Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery on Aug. 1, 2019, and went into cardiac arrest after being administered anesthesia. We love you so much. The Board stated its preference that Dr. Kim perform surgeries in a hospital, rather than officer-based setting, during probation period. Nguyen's mother said Kim told her that he didn't tell her about the CPR because he was "trying to prevent her from going into shock," the affidavit says. Aspiring anesthesiologists must first obtain a bachelor's degree before they can begin medical training. ", "The judicial system cannot bring Emmalyn back, but what it can do is punish the people who caused her death and send a message to the entire medical community that doctors and nurses will be held to the same standard as other people. Obviously, they are overwhelmingly happy that finally there will be some justice for Emmalyn, but at the same time, this brings up the whole ordeal all over again and it kind of has reawakened the trauma they went through," said David Woodruff, who is the attorney for Nguyens family. "We are glad we are finally getting justice for Emmalyn. We are Medical Malpractice attorneys who believe in hard work, solid resources & respect so we can earn your trust. According to Arapahoe County Sherriff's Office, 52-year-old Dr. Geoffrey Kim turned himself in on Wednesday and was charged with criminally negligent homicide and first-degree aggravated assault. He said in his professional opinion 911 should have been called "immediately" when Nguyen went into cardiac arrest. Now, another surgeon is in the news facing felony charges of first-degree aggravated assault and criminally negligent homicide. Privacy Policy. This is the sad story of a healthy eighteen year old girl who went in for cosmetic surgery and wound up brain damaged for life. The suit was eventually settled out of court and the terms are confidential. Rex Meeker agreed to testify against his co-defendant Dr. Geoffrey Kim who is charged with the death of 18-year-old Emmalyn Nguyen, a plastic surgery patient. 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