BAD MEDICINE

Clinic Doubled Joan Rivers’s Anesthesia

Damning official report released.

Investigators issued a damning report on the death of comedian Joan Rivers, with allegations that staff at the clinic photographed her with a cellphone while she was unconscious. The New York State Health Department found that the clinic where Rivers was undergoing a small procedure when she went into cardiac arrest had failed to sedate her, failed to document how much sedative was used, and “failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure.” She was reportedly given double the dosage of propofol. Furthermore, a staffer at Yorkville Endoscopy took photos of Rivers, and allegedly said, “Maybe [Rivers] would like to see this in the recovery area.” The clinic will lose its certification in January unless it corrects deficiencies, and Rivers’ daughter, Melissa, has hired attorneys to investigate the death.