Days after Memorial Hermann halted its liver and kidney transplants programs, The New York Times has reported that a surgeon working at the hospital has been accused of denying liver transplants to some of his patients.
Officials are investigating allegations that Dr. J. Steve Bynon Jr. was “secretly” altering transplant databases, with the intention of making some of his patients ineligible for liver transplants. On Thursday, Memorial Hermann said in a statement that it had found evidence implicating Bynon.
Dr. Bynon is employed by the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He has had a contract with Memorial Hermann’s abdominal transplant program since 2011, where he served in a leading role. He held a position at the United Network for Organ Sharing, serving on the Membership and Professional Standards Committee. He is also listed on the Board of Directors at The Living Bank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to living organ donation.
On April 4, Memorial Hermann first suspended its liver transplant program. On April 9, the hospital’s kidney transplant program was also halted, citing a “shared leadership structure” between the two programs.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed they are investigating the allegations and released a statement:
“At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we acknowledge the severity of this allegation. We are working across the Department to address this matter now. 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.”