Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Staffers used CPR to try to revive the teen but she never fully regained consciousness. 2019, after she was placed under anesthesia by nurse anesthetist Rex Meeke. "That's a really long time," Fam said, referring to the gap between the cardiac arrest and the 911 call. Her family says she has suffered severe brain damage and will likely remain in this condition for the rest of her life. Shes young, shes healthy, shell be okay, its just taking her long to wake up, Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told, Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her. You dont get dropped from a criminal case when there is evidence you were culpable. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. An ambulance was sent and Nguyen was transported to Littleton Adventist Hospital. She reportedly developed pneumonia in her nursing home and went into cardiac arrest multiple times over a 24-hour period. Travis Stewart, the Arapahoe sheriffs captain of investigations, said in a statement that the criminal investigation opened shortly after the failed surgery and involved dozens of interviews and search warrants. Nguyen suffered severe brain damage and was in a minimally conscious state before she died in October 2020. According to the affidavit, it's unclear how much anesthesia Nguyen was actually given because Meeker's notes in the chart are illegible. Kim turned himself in to authorities Wednesday and was released on $5,000 bond. ", Sonny Nguyen, the teen's father, told CBS4 "I'm a little speechless about how they can wait that long. Stay strong," whispers Fam. We represented Jerry Summers, who was rendered quadriplegic from operating room and post-operative care of Christopher Duntsch, MD, a/k/a Dr. Death. Authorities said the investigation remained open and active. Rex L. Meeker, CRNA earned a degree of a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. In a prior order from January 2, 2020, the Board noted that the CRNA administered 250 mg of lidocaine with epinephrine and 62.5 mg of bupivacaine. Dr. Kim appeared on KUSA's paid programming Colorado and Company in the past. General Anesthesiology. "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. To schedule an appointment with Mr. Rex L. Meeker, please call (303) 641-1162. After a two-year investigation, Jeffrey his Dr. Kim surrendered earlier this week and was later released on a $5,000 bond. At roughly 7:30 p.m., Kim told her mother it was time to call 911, the affidavit says. In many cases we have handled, patients and family members have told us that they were unaware of who would be handling anesthesia care in the operating room. He was charged with criminally negligent homicide and first-degree aggravated assault, both categorized as felonies. Anesthesiologists take care of you before, during and after your surgery. All Rights Reserved. There are very few criminal cases filed against surgeons for botched operations and it tells us there is something more going on here than just mere negligence, said 9NEWS legal expert Scott Robinson. FOX31 first reported on Nguyen's condition on Dec. 18, the day her parents filed a lawsuit that names the practice, its owner Dr. Geoffrey Kim, nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, registered nurse . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Before TV, Silva sisters were Hooters girls who developed boob greed, I wanted perkier boobs until my implant burst through my chest, Students banned from taking photos of trans teacher with Z-size prosthetic breasts, My husband used my boob job money on his car so I ended my marriage. Popular News. Nurse Anesthetist Rex Meeker is also being sued. A nurse anesthesiologist Rex Meeker is also facing a manslaughter charge, police said. Call (602) 795-8700. An attorney for Kim declined to comment when reached by the station, saying the physician is not at liberty to speak about any specific patient. First, the anesthesia and procedure were being done at an outpatient surgery center, rather than a hospital. Meeker, the nurse anesthetist, was involved in a similar situation in 2007. Investigators spoke with the ER doctor who treated Nguyen after she was transported to the hospital and he reported that Kim initially told him he was transferring a patient there to be "observed" while medication wore off, the affidavit says. of a Lynn Fam tends to her daughter Emmalyn Nguyen. Especially since this CRNA had already been previously involved in a negligent case in 2007. That's unconscionable.". "I just had kind of a weird feeling," Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told reporters after filing the lawsuit. Kieran Nicholson covers breaking news for The Denver Post. The Board stated its preference that Dr. Kim perform surgeries in a hospital, rather than officer-based setting, during probation period. The Board of Nursing has yet . Our hope is that this will be the beginning of bringing justice and a sense of closure to Emmalyn's family.". administered by a nurse instead of an anesthesiologist," David Woodruff, the attorney representing Nguyen's parents, told PEOPLE. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In my experience, though, this is exceptionally rare. Meeker called 911 and Nguyen was taken to Littleton Adventist Hospital and stayed there for 22 days. "It puts the patient to sleep much faster, but also greatly increases the risk that they will stop breathing.". It looks like OP posted an AMP link. has 16 years Nguyen did stop breathing and no one noticed until another nurse came in several minutes later, according to a lawsuit filed in December 2019. Questions 216.444.9134. 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. A call and email to an attorney believed to be representing Meeker were also not returned. Medical authorities said Meeker also had an obligation to call for emergency help and get Nguyen to a hospital. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. But we all try to stay strong in case she can hear us.". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. After graduating high school, Nguyen decided to get a breast augmentation at Colorado Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery to improve her image, the station reported. Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker was also charged with reckless manslaughter. Nguyen's death warrant was issued "after extensive criminal review," the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. ", Even though it will never bring our daughter back, at least this will help others from getting hurt and prevent ruining other families' lives," the family said, according to, . Harvey Weinstein movie about him, who did assault lisa bloom & gwyneth paltrow. Dr. Francis Brusino is an anesthesiologist in Raleigh, NC, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals including UNC Rex Hospital . Gilbert, AZ 85233. 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. She was being prepped for the 2 p.m. surgery when she went into cardiac arrest and was found unconscious 15 minutes later, Woodruff said. They ruined Emmalyn's life, not just hers but all of ours. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. CRNA should have not waited to call 911 regardless of what the surgeon said. 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. Meeker is facing a manslaughter charge. Although this year he disagreed with the Board findings, he permanently relinquished his license and the right to practice as a professional nurse and CRNA in the State of Colorado, in lieu of a formal disciplinary hearing. We have significant litigation experience in medical malpractice and brain injury lawsuits. Michael Ruiz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. . Finally, at 7:35 p.m., the lawsuit says Meeker, the nurse anesthetist, called 911. Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her death in October 2020. "We didn't think anything like that was going to happen to our daughter. The surgery was supposed to take two hours. Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. and nurse-anesthetist, Rex Meeker, CRNA who caused Emmalyn's catastrophic brain injury on Aug. 1, 2019: that . Get a bachelor's degree. The family has sued Kim and Nurse Anesthetist Rex Meeker of gross negligence. "CRNA Rex Meeker maintains that contrary to claims in the lawsuit and those being made in the media, the complications in Ms. Nguyen's surgery were not related to inappropriate care on his . She was 18-years-old at the . Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker also faces a charge of manslaughter. That anesthesiologist is required to be a licensed physician with no prior disciplinary history and must report back to the state medical board on a quarterly basis. A warrant has been issued for Meeker's arrest. He said everything is fine, Emmalyn is fine, everything is good. They leave her on the operating table for 5 hours and dont call 911 for 5 hours while Emmalyns mother sits in the waiting room unaware of whats happening, the Nguyens lawyer, David Woodruff, told KDVR. They dont want any other family to have to go through this kind of trauma.". An arrest warrant for Meeker was issued for the October 2020 death of Emmalyn Nguyen. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. A plastic surgeon in Colorado is facing criminal charges after one of his patients died as a result of a botched procedure. "In terms of the lawsuit filed against the plastic surgeon, Geoffrey Kim, M.D. Connect to great care anywhere with My AZ Doc. However, just before 9 p.m., after another conversation with Kim, the ER doctor reported that Kim said, "Oh, actually, this happened four hours ago," which prompted him to immediately order a CAT scan. Whether is was LAST or unmonitored care it's negligence. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are not physicians, but their lobbyists and professional associations are advocating for CRNAs to have the right to have independent practices unsupervised by an anesthesiologist. He said Everything is fine, Emmalyn is fine, everything is good, Fam told KCNC, recalling what Kim told her. He turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday, the sheriff's office said and was released after posting bond. Cookie Notice Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. That is INSANE he was dropped from the case. Please enter valid email address to continue. Rex Meeker has agreed to not practice as a certified nurse anesthetist temporarily; however, he is allowed to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Colorado. 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. and our Insurance companies pay surgery centers less than hospitals for operating room services. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4) - CBS4 has learned that criminal charges have been filed against a prominent plastic surgeon and an anesthetist who were involved in the 2019 breast augmentation surgery on 18-year-old Emmalyn Nguyen, who died following breast implant surgery. The Board requires the anesthesiologist to be a board-certified physician licensed by the Board with no prior disciplinary history and no financial interest in Dr. Kims practice. Rex meeker anesthesiologist plastic breast surgery, emmalyn nguyen. You may have heard of that surgeon being called Dr. Death in podcasts and on a TV show. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Story tips can be sent to michael.ruiz@fox.com and on Twitter: @mikerreports, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 1 year ago. Third, its alleged that the surgeon and CRNA took over five hours to call 911. ", "As we saw in the civil lawsuit, and as the Board of Medical Examiners found, there is sufficient evidence to support charges that Dr. Kim and Mr. Meeker 'engaged in conduct that created a substantial and unjustifiable risk of causing death.'". The second nurse found her with her face turned blue and in cardiac arrest. Is this the criminal case? Rex L. Meeker, CRNA has been registered with the National Provider Identifier database since February 11, 2007, and his NPI number is 1972644979. . As a patient, you may be comfortable with the training and competence of a CRNA. After receiving anesthesia, she reportedly experienced two cardiac arrests and ended up with brain damage. When asked if he believed Kim had deliberately misled him, he said he didn't know, but went on to say it "seemed like it had to have been deliberate.". . The ER doctor said he thought it was strange that an 18-year-old went into cardiac arrest and after his first evaluation said he felt things were "abnormal," according to the affidavit. 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