TAVR controversy: Surgeon fired after saying cardiologist treated patients without proper credentials
Update: Surgeon sues hospital after being fired for discussing TAVR concerns with media
A cardiologist at Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe, Ohio, allegedly performed multiple transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures without the proper credentials back in 2022. Now, a veteran surgeon who spoke to the media about the situation has been fired.
The story originally made headlines in April, when anonymous sources shared details about the situation with NBC4 WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio. The cardiologist at the center of the controversy did eventually receive the proper credentials, NBC4 reported, but not until after he had started performing TAVR.
James Manazer, MD, a vascular surgeon who had been with the hospital since 2006, was one of the anonymous sources for that April story. Now, according to an update from NBC4, his participation in that story has led to his termination.
“As a physician, if there’s patients being harmed or if there’s anything going on improper, I have a duty to report that information,” Manazer told NBC4. “My expectation is that the truth will eventually come out and that people will understand that I am telling the truth.”
Adena Regional Medical Center issued a statement about Manazer’s termination, saying he was let go for engaging in “a slew of inappropriate activities that violated his contract and the system’s code of conduct.”
Additional hospital employees, including a part-time worker responsible for watching heart monitors for irregularities, also were fired for speaking to the media about ongoing controversies.
Click the link below for the full update, which includes much more context:
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.