HOUSTON – Transplant specialists at Houston Methodist Hospital are reviewing close to 75 patients left looking for answers and options after their transplant programs at Memorial Hermann were abruptly shut down over the last two weeks.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed they’re investigating accusations that the surgeon overseeing the liver and kidney transplant program at Memorial Hermann was manipulating donor databases and possibly preventing some of his patients from receiving livers. Those allegations were revealed in a report by the New York Times.
KPRC 2 reporter Rilwan Balogun confirmed that some of Memorial Hermann’s patients may be moving to Houston Methodist for care.
“We are currently evaluating 5 liver transplant patients and 69 kidney transplant patients,” a spokeswoman for Houston Methodist said.
UTHealth -- Dr. Bynon’s employer -- stands behind the surgeon, calling him an exceptionally talented and caring physician and a pioneer in abdominal organ transplants.
“Our faculty and staff members, including Dr. Bynon, are assisting with the inquiry into Memorial Hermann’s liver transplant program and are committed to addressing and resolving any findings identified by this process,” said UTHealth’s Director of Media Relations, Deborah Mann Lake.
In a statement shared with the Times, Memorial Hermann said a doctor in its liver transplant program admitted changing patient records, which effectively denied the transplants.
Investigators with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will oversee the federal investigation.
“We are committed to protecting patient safety and equitable access to organ transplant services for all patients. We are working diligently to address this issue with the attention it deserves, including work at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – which are deployed on site to investigate. Working with our federal and state partners, HHS will pursue all appropriate enforcement and compliance actions to the fullest extent available under relevant regulations and policies to protect the safety and integrity of the organ procurement and transplantation system,” an official statement from DHHS reads.
Dr. Bynon graduated from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in 1981 according to his bio on Memorial Hermann’s website. He was named to “top Doctors” in the USA in 2000 and has performed over 800 procedures with his extensive experience in liver transplantation, the hospital says.
He is also affiliated with the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.