A 21st Century Whodunit?!?!

Last night, in response to this article I received this comment.

Due to some involvement in the ongoing lawsuit by Kevin against Emory, I am unable to reveal my name but was interested to see what was going on with the case. I never knew there was so much publicity surrounding the case and it was interesting to read about both sides for once. I believe in due justice but wanted to clarify a few things.1. Although I am unable to give details, Kevin's pattern of behavior should have led to his expulsion way before his senior year. This went beyond "simple" things as tardiness and even plagurism. Unfortunately for other Emory grads, there were other students displaying "unprofessional" behavior at the same time and they were treated the same. I agree the timing of his expulsion raises some eyebrows, but nothing that he "revealed" was a secret.

2. Speaking of which, Kevin loved to exaggerate the truth and was a great story teller. At no time at the VA was he left unsupervised. The events did happen, but it was residents (who are always there) that "saved" the patients. No one used an unsterile chest tube nor did he give life-saving blood. In fact, students can't even write orders at the VA due to their computer systems (which if any of you actually worked in that system would know immediately that nothing can be done without entering orders on the computer). Oh ya, forgot to mention that students don't work overnight, as the time frame in the blog indicates.

3. Grady is essentially our charity hospital but people don't realize that Emory and Morehouse have a dedicated staff just for Grady. True, some depts like psychiatry and dermatology cover all of the hospitals due to the low volume individually at Emory, VA, Crawford, and Grady, but then again they wouldn't have sick patients on their service and nor would he be on a service like that as a medical student. As for subpar care, I agree, but that is the function of not having any money and the patient population. It is in fact amazing what Grady can do with the resources available to them and Americans should be ashamed that we have to do this living in this country. But that is another topic and regardless of how you look at it, we will always have to cut corners at Grady in order to do what is right for the patient and have been doing so for years. Kevin was not a whistle blower; he just timed it perfectly to make him seem like one.

4. I am extremely disappointed in how Emory has dealt with the other cases involving professors, faculty members but I cannot comment on those as I do not know the details. Emory has made several bad judgments and I believe they'll be punished in the long run. It's disappointing though when someone like Kevin manipulates the media to look like a saint even when he has acknowledged to committing unprofessional behavior. Btw, is anyone actually reads the medical conduct code at Emory, it states that a student can be expelled for the "first" offense. It's sad that he was expelled after 4 years when in reality he should have after the 1st year, but overall he has destroyed the credibility of all of the wonderful doctors (well some aren't but that's life) and could result in even more people with no access to health care.

I personally don't care if Kevin wins or not, but consider if you would want someone like him to be your doctor?

There is a lot that needs to be said about this comment, so I will start at the beginning. Kevin Kuritzky is a former Emory University medical student that was expelled from medical school 41 days prior to graduation. He claims it was retaliation while the school claims it was behavioral reasons. Grady Hospital is in the middle of a desperate crisis both fiscal and otherwise that has occurred as a result of a complicated set of events that I detailed and summarized here. Kevin has become my source on some of the material that I have prepared on this matter, but not on all, and at this point not even close. In fact, my biggest source so to speak is Google.com. Unlike this ANONYMOUS poster, Kevin uses his name and he gives detailed and specific accounts. Furthermore, his accounts are verified not only by other sources but frankly from internet research.

Now, this ANONYMOUS poster claims that Kevin is lying and that Grady is not as bad as I am making it out to be. What is first most interesting is that I earlier received another ANONYMOUS comment in response to the same article that started like this...

A judge ruled in Emory's favor on this one (See mention below from a highly regarded education publication). The Atlanta community needs to stay focused on the larger issues of how to transform Grady so that it can become solvent. ALLEGED NEGLECT: A lawsuit filed by a former medical student at Emory University who alleged that it neglected patients at its two teaching hospitals was dismissed last month by a Georgia judge who ruled summarily for the university. The former student, Kevin D. Kuritzky, was dismissed from Emory's medical school 41 days before he was scheduled to graduate, in 2005.

Now, the problem for these two ANONYMOUS posters is that while they both attack Kevin they give divergent information. One ANONYMOUS commenter claims that they would be more specific if they weren't party to a lawsuit, and the other claims that Kevin can be marginalized because the law suit is over and Emory won. It is one or the other. (The details of the case might even bore a lawyer however I wrote about its exact disposition here.)

Furthermore, The Emory Wheel, the Emory University student newspaper wrote this,

A lawsuit filed against Emory by a former student was dismissed last week, affirming the University’s right to expel a student based on conduct violations.

Now, either this is very shotty reporting, this person didn't reveal the truth and allowed this story to be published, or this person is lying, or maybe all of the above.

Fortunately, through the wonders of modern technology, I have been able to identify the IP address that I am certain is the one used by the person that wrote this anonymous piece.

It is...71.56.116.54. The host is...c-71-56-116-54.hsd1.ga.comcast.net.

This IP originated from Atlanta, Georgia. This computer came on my blog four times starting at 8:48 PM Central Time and finishing at 9:39PM Central and even had a stop at 9:33 PM Central time at roughly the exact moment the comment was published. Now, since this is my whodunit, it is time for me to list my most likely suspects and give evidence why I think they might be guilty.

It might be this man. As head of Public Relations for Emory University, he is of course responsible for their image. Kuritzky's accusations are quite incendiary and it is in Emory's best interests to see Kuritzky marginalized. I doubt very much that trolling through blogs and writing anonymous comments would be part of his job description, especially from home which would appear is where this originated from, however it is possible that he felt it part of his duties. Much of the evidence against this man is what we would call circumstantial. He has been identified as the most frequent guest to my site. Other strange occurrences have been identified on the internet after he has visited my site. Finally, I have attempted to make contact with him by email and he has not responded and while this is pure conjecture, maybe this is his response.


It could also be this man. As head legal counsel for not only Emory University but the Emory Wheel specifically, it would be absurd and laughable if he were the culprit. After all, he would have had to know about the story published in the Wheel. The evidence against him is also circumstantial however there are some peculiarities that make him a suspect in my mind. First, his main role is head legal counsel for Emory University. I have gathered information that leads me to conclude that he has taken on an active role in the operations of the Emory Wheel that I believe is peculiar given his main duties. For instance, I believe that in many ways he is the unofficial de facto Head of H.R. for the Wheel. Second, I already pointed out that he announced that he is not only lead general counsel for Emory University but the Emory Wheel. Now, this seems redundant to me since it would be assumed that the lead general counsel of the school would be the ultimate lawyer for the newspaper, if necessary, however he actually announced it.

Furthermore, he has a long history with Kevin Kuritzky which I detail in the link, It could also be this man. He also has history with me. I recently pointed out something that he co wrote in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that is not only absurd but probably illegal. He has plenty of motivation to not only marginalize Kevin but this blog.

It could also be someone on the staff here. The reason they are all suspects is that I reached out to them recently in hopes of making them my allies on this story. Based on their work currently regarding this Grady mess, they have currently given me the impression that they are nothing more than a mouthpiece for the administration which they are entrusted in being a watch dog for. I pointed out one article in the Wheel that had errors, and now look at another one.

After a two-month recess, Grady’s board of directors has finally agreed to cede power over to a non-profit organization. Such a move follows the recommendations made to the hospital months ago by state politicians, area businesspeople and Emory itself and will allow the hospital to seek funding more easily from outside sources, not just Fulton and DeKalb counties.

But the changeover comes with a catch: The board will allow the new management to take charge only if the Georgia legislature and local business leaders pledge in writing to raise nearly half a billion dollars for Grady — $50 million of which would be due before the board changes power. The legislature will be required to pledge an additional $30 million annually to help keep the hospital up and running. Of particular note to Emory, which along with Morehouse supplies the doctors who work at Grady, the board also wants to freeze current staffing levels at the hospital.

More money for Grady isn’t a bad thing. With funding like that requested, the hospital could pay back its debts, including nearly $45 million in labor costs owed to Emory. Unfortunately, now is not the time for ultimatums from the hospital’s directors. State officials have made it clear they aren’t willing to be told what to do by the governing board of a hospital. If the board can’t reach an agreement with the legislature and other sources of funding, then they say there may be no restructuring, and Grady will be back to square one, struggling to stay afloat...

This article commended moves by the board at Grady. They called them baby steps on a long road to recovery. What is laughable, tragic, and absurd about the article is that not a week later, the JCAHO threatened to remove Grady's accreditation. This is only the second time in the entire history of JCAHO that it has come this far. The only other time was at King Drew Hospital and the chilling abuses there should give everyone nightmares. While we don't know the specifics, since the report has not been made public, we can assume that things at Grady are just as disastrous. In other words, commending baby steps for a hospital in this much turmoil is the height of journalistic irresponsibility. It could be that the student author is just not up to the job to find the truth in this matter or it could be something else. I don't know and that is why everyone at the Emory Wheel remains a suspect.

Finally, among the list of most possible suspects, there is Jonathon Leake. In the discovery phase of Kuritzky suit with Emory, it was revealed that Leake made several incendiary, threatening, as well as racist comments toward Kevin. Since his whereabouts are unknown to me, at least, the evidence against him ends here.

I know what some of you are thinking. This is rather flimsy evidence against everyone. That is true, and my purpose wasn't to present a strong case against anyone. My purpose was to get your attention. The IP address speaks for itself and someone out there can figure out how to identify the exact location and then we will have our culprit.

For an updated summary of the whole series of events that this particular piece is merely a small part of please go to this link.

To see the recommendations that I along with mostly my colleagues on this case have come up with for saving Grady Hospital please go here.

JCAHO Threatens to Shut Down Grady Hospital

The Atlanta Journal Constitution (which I believe to be a suspect news organization) broke this this morning...

As if things weren't bad enough for the financially strapped Grady Health System, now the hospital faces a list of criticisms, including issues with patient care, that put its national accreditation at risk.

In a five-day inspection last week, the Joint Commission —- formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations —- identified "numerous
requirements for improvement," according to a statement issued by Grady on Monday. Hospital officials gave no details about the kinds of shortcomings inspectors found.

Dr. Christopher Edwards, vice chairman of the Grady board, said the report cited "opportunities for improvement in various areas, including patient care."

Anyone who has been reading my work, knows that the tone of this article is wrong. It is frankly long past time that the powers that be, be held responsible for the mess at Grady. Keep in mind that about three years ago, the HHS conducted an investigation that concluded this about the patients at Grady Hospital...

there is an immediate and serious risk to the health and safety of the patients

Obviously, it can't get any worse than that for a hospital. Now, three years later the hospital needs an injection of half a billion dollars to stay solvent. Before that, Grady Hospital was convicted of Medicare fraud. State Senator Charles Walker committed so much criminality at Grady and beyond that he was ultimately convicted of 127 felonies. I am fond of the Latin phrase Res Ipsa Loquitur (the facts speak for themselves), and in the case of Grady Hospital, Res Ipsa Loquitur.

One only needs to do a Google search to discover that there are serious and systemic problems at Grady Hospital that frankly, in my opinion, warranted intervention from authorities long ago. Given the current crisis and latest report from JCOHA, it is clear that proper steps weren't taken in response to the report from HHS about three years ago. I hope that this latest episode winds up with a different result.

Here is the so called inside baseball on how this transpired. Much of the credit should end up going to Ron Marshall of the Grady Coalition. He sent letters for years to JCAHO complaining about stonewalling on the part of Grady staff as far as open records requests and in answering their many questions on a whole host of issues related to corruption, poor patient care, and effective hospital management. Here is an example of an email that he sent that I got a hold of...

Mr. Bressler,>> YOU often appear not to have the evidence we have presented to you> over the years. We hope you have protected all documents we have sent> to you from spoilage.>> NATIONAL WITNESSES: THE GRADY SYSTEM HAS FAILED> Because of the severe suffering at Grady, we cannot rest until JCAHO> violations are stopped. We are bringing on board new witnesses.

Dr.> Linda Peeno, formerly a top executive at Humana, has analyzed the> situation and finds that this is a breakdown of the medical system.> Peer review is an essential part of the system to protect patients.> Bad faith peer review effects the medical judgements of all doctors> in the system, and leads to systematic poor medical care. Testimony> demonstrates it is impossible to deliver minimal standard care when> peer review has been subverted.>> CONGRESSIONAL ALLIES> We will be meeting with Congressional allies next week, and we will> be holding a press conference. We hope we receive a statement from> you by noon, Tuesday that you will implement a plan to enforce JCAHO> regulations at Grady.>>

GOOD FAITH PEER REVIEW IS ESSENTIAL TO THE INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM> I know you do not want to enforce peer review standards. However, I> don't see how you can enforce any standard if bad-faith peer review> is being used to hide malfeasance at the hospital. Peer review is> part of a system to protect patient care. If peer review is> subverted, doctors and staff are unable to speak up for patients and> to enforce patient care standards. The whole system is stood on its> ear. I hope you will reconsider your position and enforce JCAHO's own> standards. Grady has violated each of the provisions you outlined in> your last letter.>> BAD FAITH PEER REVIEW HAS BEEN CORRUPTING THE MEDICAL SYSTEM FOR DECADES> This has been a horrible problem for years.

Verner Waite wrote to you> about widespread violations in peer review leading to patient harm> ten years ago, and you did not respond. It is our position that you> must enforce all standards, especially peer review standards, that> impact patient care. This is at the core of your function.>> BAD FAITH PEER REVIEW IS CORRUPTING POLITICS IN GEORGIA> We have presented extensive evidence, including evidence from an> assistant DA, that the huge amounts of money stolen from Grady has> perniciously influenced Georgia politics. The 142 felony count indictment against Senator Walker was based in large part of his corruption of Georgia's hospitals by corrupting its peer review system. Bad faith peer review is a cancer on the body politic of the> entire state. Bad faith peer review can only be
stopped by JCAHO.> JCAHOs failure to enforce its standards is harming the entire state.

HOWEVER, EVEN IF YOU WILL NOT ENFORCE YOUR OWN STANDARDS, PLEASE AT>LEAST MAKE GRADY CORRECT DEFICIENCIES IT HAS ADMITTED IN MORE THAN THIRTEEN AREAS. GRADY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT HOSPITAL IN THE SOUTHEAST THAT SERVES> MINORITY PATIENTS. PLEASE TELL US IF YOU WILL ENFORCE YOUR STANDARDS> AT GRADY.>> 1. For your convenience, we have created a database showing how> violations in JCAHO policy at Grady have resulted in severe patient harm over the last five years: http://www.geocities.com/ron_marshall21/

2. We also document how Grady has retaltiated against witnesses to> prevent you from getting evidence: http://www.geocities.com/ron_marshall21/

3. We summarize severe corruption and its impact on patients:


4. We summarize witnesses available and ethics violations:

5. Current staff document new retaliations, and JCAHO violations. The staff fear to
speak to you.

6. Patient care is greatly compromised.THE HARMS TO GRADY'S PATIENTS ARE STAGGERING. PLEASE RULE ON OUR> COMPLAINT IMMEDIATELY.> A BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE UNETHICAL PRACTICES IS NEEDED NOW.> ROBERT BROWN AND PAUL HOWARD MUST RESIGN.>> Thank you. We know this is a lot of information, but all of it has> been sent to you
previously. This is but a portion of the documents> already in your possession.>> Ron Marshall> George Anderson> The New Grady Coalition

While many of the names are probably unfamiliar, please note this particular email is one of many over several years. Clearly, Grady refused to respond to good faith efforts to address issues that years later JCAHO has finally gotten around to forcing them to address.

I hope that everyone grabs the bull by the horn in this situation and takes steps to institute the sorts of institutional changes that are necessary to rid Grady of the culture of corruption that seems so apparent to me. Here is the plan as set by the Grady Task Force. If anyone can make sense of it, let me know because I can't. Here is the plan me and my allies have developed. I hope that everyone has a chance to read it. The time for Grady Hospital is critical, and it is time for real solutions.

For reference on how Grady Hospital got to such an extreme point you can go to this tag, or you can read this summary.

No Mike King...You're Out of Touch (UPDATED)

Here is the latest column by AJC columnist Mike King.

It takes a special kind of arrogance for the Fulton-Dekalb County Hospital Authority to stiff Emory and Morehouse medical schools out of $63 million and then demand the schools keep sending doctors to Grady Memorial Hospital. As a condition of turning over the hospital to professional management, the authority demanded that Emory and Morehouse give a written guarantee they will continue their residency and teaching programs at Grady. The money for those programs comes almost entirely from the state and federal governments, but the Grady board has kept much of it in recent years to use for other expenses. The hospital's mismanagement is now threatening the quality of on-the-job training both schools offer. It's one thing to ask Emory and Morehouse to renegotiate the debt, which both have said they are willing to do. But demanding it, as well as a promise that they won't cut back their programs, reveals how truly out of touch with reality the authority can be.

Now, really quickly, here is a run down for those that haven't been following this story. He is speaking of Grady Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals in the country. It services the poor and is in such dire financial shape that it needs somewhere in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars to stay afloat. Emory and Morehouse provide much of the staff at the hospital (with Emory providing most between the two) and each university gets paid for providing the staff. According to King, Grady wants to not only be relieved of their yearly obligations but they insist that each university's staff remain on duty. Grady is a public hospital so ultimately it is "owned" by the folks. Lastly, and this is quite important, Grady is designed for the very poor or indigent, and by its sheer size it services almost all of the poor folks in Fulton, Dekalb and frankly many other counties. Without it, all the nice hospitals that treat wealthy folks in the area would have to treat these poor folks as well.

Now, I won't argue that arrogance is a trait exhibited by several folks in this mess, however if this is what he is focused on, he really is out of touch. First of all, there are plenty of people out there that believe that Emory and Morehouse should be paying Grady for use of their hospital, not the other way around. (for a full summary on this story including an explanation why Emory and Morehouse should be paying please follow this link) Thus, by demanding that staff continue to work without payment, seems, to many, only fair. Second of all, Grady is near financial collapse and it may take up to half a billion dollars in order to save it. Given that staggering figure, is the important point really whether someone is asking or demanding that debts be forgiven. After all, if Grady needs half a billion dollars, Emory and Morehouse can get in line with a plethora of creditors.

Ah, but unlike most creditors, Grady expects, not asks, these two to continue providing services. Of course, they expect that Emory and Morehouse staff continue to work. Emory and Morehouse account for almost the entire staff. Without them there is no hospital. Without Grady, the poor in Fulton and Dekalb have no place to be treated. If Grady is no longer the whole entire medical system in Fulton, Dekalb and beyond is in serious crisis. (Without Grady some of the hospitals for the affluent would actually have to treat these folks and no one can have that now can they)

Second Emory and Morehouse need Grady a lot more than the other way around. First, Grady is a public hospital so it really belongs to the people. If the folks want it kept open, they WILL infuse it with cash one way or the other. On the other hand, Morehouse uses Grady for nearly all of its medical school and residency training. In other words, without Grady there is no Morehouse medical school. Emory maintains several for profit hospitals however the bulk of their training is also conducted at Grady. Furthermore, Grady is the main selling point to perspective Emory medical students. Grady is one of the biggest hospitals in the country and the world, and going to Emory medical school allows perspective medical students to train there. In other words, without Grady, there is not Morehouse medical school. While there is an Emory medical school, it goes from being an elite school, to the equivalent of EastWest Texas State Community College Medical School. (please, no one be offended, I made the school up but we all know that the more words before and after the State in question the worse the school is)

Thus, of course the powers that be at Grady expect that debt not only be forgiven but that staff continue to work. They hold all the power.

Given all this we can see why they are so arrogant, but frankly this is all besides the main point anyway. King's piece is frankly most atrocious, in my opinion, because it focuses on side issues like demands over requests. King refuses to examine why Grady insists on going private and how that will impact the hospital and the tax payers. (Fortunately, you can count on this blogger to give you the straight scoop on all issues related to Grady and their plan for going private is just one of those issue. So for more info on the plan to go private please click here) By focusing on the arrogance of a group that has frankly shown nothing but arrogance for more than a decade, he really shows a total lack of understand of the issue.

The issue isn't whether or not some people are arrogant. They are and it matters very little, except to explain past, current and likely future behavior. The issue is what to do going forward. It appears obvious to me at least, that the reason the powers that be want to go private is so that their malfeasance can be even more easily hidden. Yet, that possibility isn't even mentioned. In fact, Mike King contributes absolutely nothing of substance to a debate that should be at the front of most Georgians' minds. It should be the AJC leading on this story. It isn't. In fact, if I am right, the AJC is actively participating in the corruption. That may explain why King's only contribution to this debate so far is well, so lame.

Finally, I have heard from the grapevine that Ron Marshall, of the Grady Coalition, wrote a piece that was supposed to counter King's in the AJC, and the AJC refused to publish it. No such refusals will be here. Here is Marshall's piece...

It does not surprise me that Grady voted to go private. This has been in the plan to privatize all major funding resources in America to control how money is being spent and who receives it. Look at Iraq, since when do we hire a private force to protect public interest? This has never happen in the history of war. Who benefits from privatization?

Grady changes have started the wheel of genocide. A whole community will parish (poor people and poor accident victims) in the name of profits. Not to mention the land deals that will be made. We have put a price on human life. Not only have we put a price on the life of an individual we allow the health care system to pick and choose who get’s treated and how much treatment they as humans receive. Animals get treated better than people. Throw a dog in the street and see what happens.

Our Governor had the nerve to pray for rain. The prayers should be for humanity as well as for the salvation of human life and for the protection of our planet. Now we have really fallen off the path of survival.

What’s still hidden in all of this is how did this happen and who is responsible for what happen. This has never been asked. If it has there sure has been very little said about the accountability of the officials who oversee Grady and the official who appoint the board that put Grady in this position. Why is the public being denied
access to records that will show where all the money went or is going and who is receiving it? This is not new and it seems to happen like the migration of geese heading south every year.

Only one person was sent to prison for stealing from Grady, Charles Walker. Walker did not steal all that money by himself. He had to have help. Somebody signed the checks and somebody got paid to keep it quiet. Why wasn’t there an investigation
conducted to find the accomplices. This is like a private (secret) Mafia, they sacrificed one to save the rest. I notice Walker has not turned on his accomplices. Is there money waiting for him when he is released?


Is having cover-up money pay for a pass as Emory has shown. They have clearly had their way with Grady’s funding with a sweet heart contract. Does being a politician automatically give you a pass when crisis’s after crisis’s shock after shock that cost tax payers millions without having them be accountable time after time.


Now we had an explosion in south Georgia and Grady no other but Grady is in the front again. The needs are clear, human lives are at stake. Is there no other real time event that shows Grady at its best.

So to feel anything is like watching killings and brutality between 6-11pm live on the news or a television program. You get use to it. The fight for justice and accountability has only hit a bump in the road, we must be protectors of justice and righteousness and we will accelerate ahead of corruption. Buckle-Up.

Many of the things he says have also been said here. It's too bad that Marshall needs my blog in order to get his message out. You can contact the AJC here about any of the plethora of issues I have raised.

(Update)

I realize that anyone that tries to pick up the story of the crisis at Grady Hospital is likely to get lost in its many mazes. Thus, if this story is your first exposure to it, it is likely you have dumbfounded look on your face. Thus, I have put together a summary of the entire fiasco that tries to put all of its moving parts together in one piece. Please read it for guidance. Then, the dumbfounded look will be removed. Also, please check out the recommendations that I and my colleagues have put together for fixing Grady Hospital.

Maintaining The Secret

The Grady Task Force is a group that I will definitely give a great deal examination to in the near future, however in the meantime, I will cede to Ron Marshall again who is well versed in it himself.

Every time the public ask can we get a look at certain documents, or ask why we weren’t invited to the meetings. We are denied answers. Then the public ask why are you having secret meetings and why can’t we see these document from these meeting. Why are we denied? Some of our elected politicians are not asking. We have become a secret society that has levels of secrecy that only the secret privileged who are a secret themselves know the secret. There is an abusive attitude for power here. By training the workers to keep the secrets, intimidation and retaliation has made robots out these workers and the one’s that want to speak out or expose the secrets they are kept in check or worse.

Emory and Grady secrets have paralyzed open and transparency laws and it seems the thought of having a Sunshine Law is a fraud. Over the years I have been trying to get these and other records the show how the robbery of Grady has been commented. This has not been a Secret to the New Grady Coalition not a secret that Grady and Emory have been keeping the illusion they are clean. Emory and
Grady are not tainted by anything like threatening employees if they speak out
or retaliate against the ones that do. Have they lost their humanitarian equilibrium?

It is not a secret Emory and Grady have kept secrets on how money has been diverted to different owned entities to make them rich and keep the workers under the arm pits of threats that if they spoke out, we will get you. It is not a secret that Grady has over paid management and too many managers on staff, that unqualified workers working in areas where a certification is a must or has management that stole money through bonus payments. We don’t know if the pension funds have been threatened, that’s a secret.

And again the board selected an advisory board that consist of the foxes watching the hen house so the continue pattern of secrecy adds to our concern, is all government and public officials bought and paid for. We also know that Grady and Emory pay large sums to keep their secrets. Hire top lawyer firms to protect their secrets. We know that Emory hired a PR firm to cover up their secrets. It is not a
secret that Emory threatens and retaliates against students that attend its prestige school if they speak out against how Emory treats the student body. Emory is not in the helping poor people business. So we have to ask why all the secrets. Is money and power the ultimate secret?


The local press has said the people who want to know the secrets are just making
things difficult, they are called brow beaters by the press but we keep showing you the secrets. Is the media bought and paid for? I guest if you were a sheep herder you have to keep your sheep in place. One way is by allowing the secret meetings and payoffs to be conducted secretly. Go to this site http://www.maxexchange.com/ybj/chapter15.htm and start looking at the plan that is bigger than Grady and Emory but they use the same technique to accomplish the ultimate goal, get rich and let you die trying.

Ron Marshall
The New Grady
Coalition

Mr. Marshall mentions uses the metaphor the fox guarding the henhouse when describing the Grady Task Force. The best illustration of this metaphor is Robert Brown, and I wrote about him and his role in the task force here.

Who Is The Real Sociopath?? (UPDATE)

Introduction: For anyone who hasn't been following my work, let me give you a quick recap. A few weeks back I passed along a story about purported corruption at Grady Hospital with the potential of Emory University staff, who account for all of Grady's staff, being in the middle of it. After that story was published, I was contacted Kevin Kuritzky. He maintains that he blew the whistle on much of the corruption at Grady Hospital and beyond. He was expelled from Emory Medical School with forty one days left. He claims it was in retaliation and Emory claims it was due to tardiness and other offenses. He has a civil suit against Emory University currently in the appeals court. I should point out that Kevin has been at least a source for several stories and I have also done a radio show together with Kevin Kuritzky.

While I in no way hide whatever biases I have, I believe that in the case of what follows the latin phrase, Res Ipso Loquitor (the facts speak for themselves), applies.

A couple of weeks ago I received this UNSOLICITED email.

Mike, Just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't get taken in by Kevin Kuritzky. The guy is a pathological liar and I have personally been taken in by his stories only to realize that he was flat out lying. I also know numerous other people who have experienced the same. It is quite sad because he is a very charming, intelligent person. He just uses these skills to manipulate people. Don't get taken in by him.

Mike--

Michael Ward MD,

MBA

Resident Physician

Department of Emergency Medicine

University of Cincinnati

So, who is Michael Ward MD etc, etc...and what is he talking about? According to the chic professional networking site, Linked In, Michael Ward MD etc., etc... is in fact a member of the staff at the University of Cincinnati. It appears that his path crossed with that Kevin Kuritzky a few years back at medical school at Emory University. If what Dr. Ward says is true, it makes the basis of a lot of my reporting suspect to say the least. In fact, my first comprehensive piece on this subject was based largely on the testimony of Kevin Kuritzky. I say this so that my natural biases are clearly laid out as I continue with my analysis.

The reason that I reveal this email now about three weeks after I got it originally is because through the grapevine I am told that I am told the P.R. arm of Emory University has been making similar claims to Mike King of the AJC. (in that case I believe the word sociopath was used in describing Kuritzky) It is also consistent with the comments of the mysterious pseudonym John in response to this story.

I was in Kevin’s class at Emory (well at one point as it took him several years to complete one academic year), and the allegations by Emory concerning his behavior, ethics and morals are accurate. He should not be taking care of patients plain and simple.

Ironically enough, the term sociopath is one which most of my friends have told me I have a disturbing and obscene fascination with. (Given that two of my favorite shows, 24 and The Sopranos, each delved into the topic at roughly the same time, "I had no choice" (or I just couldn't help myself, potato...) but to get interested in it) Anyone who has read my work knows that I have had personal contact with my fair share of sociopaths and and I see several of the world leaders and our enemies as sociopaths as well. While this by no means makes me an expert, I will use my experience with the phenomenon to try and separate fact from perception in this situation.

One thing is clear. There is no doubt that one of these two side is certainly sociopathic, which in simplest terms is an individual devoid of empathy (in other words they are so selfish that nothing but their own self interest becomes relevant to them). Either Kevin Kuritzky has decided to lie pathological for his own self interest or his opponents want to paint him as such for theirs. Since, in this story, there is no middle ground we are absolutely dealing with sociopathology on one person's part.

If Kevin Kuritzky is himself a sociopath, then his compulsive lying would be a standard trait. There could be several reasons of self interest for his lying. He may have decided to get revenge at Emory for real or perceived wrongs. He may have thought that given the incendiary nature of his lies that they would bring him fame, or money, or both. There are in fact any number of self interest reasons for Kuritzky lying in this case.

On the other hand, if Emory University and their cohorts are sociopathic, they would look to smear Kevin because they know he is a threat. If in fact what he says is true, then their own sociopathic nature would have every reason to eliminate him. Remember, if Kevin is telling the truth, he is a hero. He is then trying to expose some of the worst corruption, leading to fraud, horrible patient care, and outrageous waste of tax payer money. Emory University along with several other people and group are the targets of his accusations. If he is telling the truth, then a sociopath would have every motivation to use every single means available to eliminate, marginalize and demean him.

Obviously, knowing the truth beyond all doubt is impossible, however in this case, it is my opinion that the truth beyond all reasonable doubt is pretty easy to decipher.

First, we know that Grady Hospital is now in such financial turmoil that it will likely need hundreds of millions to survive. We know that State Senator Charles Walker used Grady Hospital and other entities to commit an obscen amount of corruption. (He was charged with 137 felonies, convicted of 127, flipped on no one, and yet only got ten years in jail. Oh, and no one else, besides his daughter and the companies they ran were even charged) We know that in the mid and late 1990's Grady Hospital was the subject of an investigation and ultimately prosecution and settlement for Medicare fraud.

We know that in the mid and late 1990's Grady Hospital was the subject of an investigation and ultimately prosecution and settlement for Medicare fraud. We know that in the beginning of this millenia Grady was subject to an NIH investigation. While the investigation ultimately didn't lead to any arrests, fines or convictions, we do know that four Emory professors were ultimately paid off for their silence. We also know that 2004-2005 HHS conducted its own investigation. Here is the conclusion of that investigation.

there is an exteme and immediate threat to the health and safety of the patients

There is even evidence that in the case of one paid off professor, Dr. Jim Murtaugh, Emory and Grady paid him off without receiving permission from the board of trustees. Finally, even in the current civil case between Emory University and Kevin Kuritzy there is some questionable behavior on the part of Emory University. Court records show that Emory University couldn't produce hundreds if not thousands of documents in the case. In many instances, Emory even admitted to destroying certain documents.

The problem for Emory University, in my mind, is these are all clear characteristics of sociopathic behavior. Sociopaths remove every threat in the way of their goal. Between paying people off, expelling others, destroying documents, I believe they have exhibited that behavior in their goal of running a corrupt hospital. Given all of this evidence it makes Kuritzky's claims well within the pattern of evidence that anyone can discover by simply mastering the art of google.com. The only evidence that Kuritzky is a sociopath come in the accusations of Emory and their cohorts.

Even in the case of the email of Michael Ward, MD, etc, etc, there are no specific accusations. In our exchange by email upon receiving it, I invited Ward to give me specifics and I even emailed him my cell phone number. He never responded with any examples. In the case of the mysterious John it is also vague and unspecific allegations. Emory many times points to Kuritzky being expelled as evidence. Keep in mind it was Emory that expelled him. If they are the sociopaths, his expulsion would fit the behavior pattern of a sociopath to a tee.

In order for Kuritzky to be a sociopath, the pattern of behavior that Grady and Emory exhibited (keep in mind while the two entities are separate Grady is almost entirely staffed by Emory personnel and in many cases Grady higher ups move onto positions with Emory a la William Casarella) was either an anomaly or either a condition that was fixed in a few short years between the events I described and the time period of Kuritzky's accusations. Even that would be hard to believe because the HHS report coincided with the time period of Kuritzky's investigations. If you were to believe that, you would then have a very hard time explaining the current financial crisis at Grady Hospital.

Thus, in conclusion, those that I am accusing can say I have a bias, however I believe I have laid out a solid case for who is the sociopath here. While I must admit that I enjoy an obscene and disturbing amount of fun in delving into the condition of sociopathology, this question is central to what is going on. If Kuritky is the sociopath, then we need not worry about infusing Grady with more money because their administration is fit to receive it. If, on the other hand, it is Emory, Grady and beyond, that are the real sociopaths, then it is time for full fair and open hearings before even one cent is dolled out to what would be the very people that caused the mess.

If my supposition is right, then the likes of Kent Alexander, William Casarella, Ed Renford, Robert Brown, Vernon Jones, (and maybe even State Senator Charles Walker if that can be arranged) as well as those that would be the heroes in this mess: Kevin Kuritzky, Ron Marshall, Dale Cardwell, Joyce Harris and even all those that were paid off, need to be put under oath, on television, to answer truthfully their involvement in this crisis.

Finally, I invite the powers that be at Emory, Mike King, Dr. Ward, and even the mysterious John to respond at their leisure if they feel I have been inaccurate.

UPDATE:

If you are picking up the story of the Grady Hospital crisis anywhere in the middle, you are likely to get quite confused. This maybe happening if this particular story is your first exposure to the crisis. Thus, I have put together a summary of the entire fiasco that tries to put all of its moving parts together in one piece. Please read it for guidance. Also, please check out the recommendations that I and my colleagues have put together for fixing Grady Hospital.

A Murder, A Suicide: Connecting More Dots in the Culture of Corruption (UPDATE)

Sheriff Elect Derwin Brown

The 2000 election for Sheriff of Dekalb County was bitter and difficult. It pitted incumbent Sheriff Sidney Dorsey against policeman Derwin Brown. Brown ran on a platform of cleaning up the corruption in the Sheriff's department. Many times the fingers of corruption were pointed directly at Dorsey himself. Dekalb County Sheriff's Department had a long history of corruption and Dorsey himself was no stranger to criminality.

Dorsey became the county's first black sheriff four years ago despite publicity about his arrests for domestic abuse and a manslaughter charge he once faced.

Reports also surfaced that Dorsey assigned inmates to work on houses of supporters of his wife, an Atlanta city councilwoman.

Other reports accused him of allowing deputies to work for his security company while on the clock. And a female deputy filed a lawsuit saying that she was denied a promotion because she ended an affair with Dorsey.

Brown's campaign message resonated and the voters voted him in overwhelmingly with him winning roughly two to one. Brown would never get a chance to fulfill any of his campaign promises. On December 15th, two days before he was to be sworn in, he was gunned down in his drive way.

Within months several people within the Sheriff's department or at least with strong ties to it were arrested. Those people included Paul Skyers, Devon Edwards, Patrick Cuffy (ultimately fingered as the shooter) and Melvin Walker. The man that authorities finally believed to be the ringleader and ultimately the person that gave the order was none other than the Sheriff at the time of the murder at least Sidney Dorsey.

Everyone eventually flipped on Dorsey and spent minimal or no time in jail. Most of their whereabouts are currently unknown, and Dorsey was ultimately convicted about five years later. He serves a sentence of 25 years.

Like with much of the corruption around it, this case leaves many more questions than answers. If a sheriff and several of his deputies and their contacts killed the incoming sheriff, then to me at least, that is the culture of corruption at its worst. Why then did the next Sheriff Thomas Brown (no relation) not clean house as Derwin Brown promised. (Thomas Brown, who was the former public safety officer of Dekalb County, was then selected by then Governor Roy Barnes to be the interim Sheriff)

Fellow candidates for sheriff and confidantes of Derwin Brown blasted the sheriff when he declined to fire all of those targeted for termination by the murdered sheriff-elect, or to hire those previously promised jobs. Although he has dismissed some personnel, Sheriff Brown has been criticized, both before and after the special election, for not fully embracing those changes.

When he came aboard, said Brown, the department was uneasy; he thinks his decisions have helped calm things.

"There may have been some concerns when I came in," said Brown. "I made very few staff changes. There were a few personnel changes -- we did let some people go -- but the heart and soul of the people who built this facility are still here."

It is this diarists opinion that whatever doubts anyone had that the Dekalb County Sheriff's Department had a systemic culture of corruption were tragically erased when its Sheriff elect was gunned down in a conspiracy involving several members of the department itself, including the top person. If ever there was a reason for wholesale house cleaning it was this tragic event. Yet, that didn't happen.

There was other things that raised my eyebrows. There were rumors of a hitlist. In fact, the prosecutor on the case J. Tom Morgan wore a bullet proof vest for safety. I was told that reporter (and current candidate for U.S. Senate) Dale Cardwell had a member of the sheriff's department sleeping in his house for a month because they felt he was a target. The motive for the shooting was said to be revenge. If there was a hitlist and other targets that wouldn't make sense. Was Dorsey really the ringleader or was this murder really the work of someone and something much bigger? Only the powers that be know that answer.

There was some media that wondered if Dorsey really was the ringleader. His family doesn't believe that all the perpetraters have been caught. To this day, his death and the events surrounding it continue to have more questions than answers. Much like most of the corruption in and around Dekalb County, whether its Grady Hospital, Emory University, or the Sheriff's Department, it always seems as though investigations only go so far before somehow, some way they end.

On August 26th, 2004, Charles Hicks, Dekalb County Attorney was found dead. The death of Charles Hicks was eventually ruled a suicide however I believe that this was another case in which there are more questions than answers. Ron Marshall, head of the Grady Coalition, was an acquaintance of Hicks. He told me that on many occasions he told him that he (Hicks) was concerned about all of the corruption that he was procuring. The first officer on the scene was one Donald Frank, a wily character that Marshall says he would run into again (and one I will get back to in a minute). The most damning piece of evidence was that the gun was found laying next to Hicks' right hand. This seems peculiar since Hicks was in fact left handed.

If Hicks was in the middle of a culture of corruption, and he wanted to get out, it would stand to reason that the powers that be would want him eliminated. It also stands to reason that the powers to be would have enough power to then cover up this same murder and turn it into a suicide. Of course, that is all mere speculation. Let's not speculate but rather look for patterns.

The Sheriff's Department had a culture of corruption that went back decades. Several of its sheriffs wound up on the wrong end of the jail cell.

Former Sheriff Pat Jarvis last year was sentenced to 15 months in prison and fined $40,000 for fraud. Ray Bonner, a sheriff in the mid-1970s, pleaded self-defense and was acquitted in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in his front yard. And Lamar Martin, the sheriff in the late 1960s and early '70s, was convicted of bribery.

Of course after that, the next sheriff in line went in for murder.

While this was going on at the Sheriff's Department State Senator Charles Walker was fleecing Grady Hospital for millions of dollars. The State Senator committed so much crime that by the time he was done he was charged with 137 felonies and ultimately convicted on all but ten. Of course, he flipped on NO ONE. No one else was charged and he got ten years, or less than a month for each felony conviction. Then, we have the mysterious death Charles Hicks.

Who is running Dekalb County? That would be Vernon Jones. Jones is no stranger to trouble. His name has wound up on the police blotter roughly six times. It started in the mid eighties and the last known incident was this past December. The charges range from assault to rape. He's never been convicted of any of these crimes mind you. He's had more than a few questionable land deals including a prime piece of property (that he apparently bought for 500k in cash. Not bad for someone that makes a 100k per year) right next to a mall that he authorized the building of.

In fact, I only need to go to the same article where my research on Hicks began to find all sorts of malfeasance by Jones.

Jones' re-election campaign took its first hit, as one of his opponents, state Rep. Teresa Greene-Johnson, tried unsuccessfully to get a court protection order against him. Greene-Johnson alleged that Jones berated and threatened her on a campaign stop.


...

Within days of each other, Jones lost two political allies. Commissioner Lou Walker died from injuries sustained in a car accident and Jones' deputy chief of staff, Lance Robertson, was arrested and charged with the false imprisonment of a 19-year-old woman after a night of drinking at the W Hotel in Dunwoody.

It was revealed that Robertson had a criminal past, including a shoplifting conviction, that county officials did not investigate before Jones hired him. Robertson, who has been suspended without pay, denies any wrongdoing in the W Hotel incident.

Also in August, a federal lawsuit accused Jones and other county officials of discriminating against white employees. County officials denied the allegations.

That article merely describes a few months in 2004.

By 2006, Ron Marshall was challenging Jones for Dekalb County CEO. Jones introduced Marshall to hardball politics, Dekalb County style. Marshall told me that he was constantly followed throughout the campaign. There was background checks done on him, and he and his wife mysteriously wound up on the Homeland Security Terror Watch List. Only the powers that be know how that happened, however the director of Homeland Security for Dekalb County by this point just happened to be Donald Franks (yes the exact same one that also happened to be the first police officer on the scene of the Hicks death).

There is a Latin phrase, Res Ipsa Loquitor, and it means the facts speak for themselves. There is no question that Vernon Jones is part of the problem. Between the murder of a Sheriff elect, the fleecing of Grady Hospital, the harrassment of a candidate, and many other scandals in between, Res Ipsa Loquitor. Nothing has changed within the Sheriff's Department that occupies the County he is CEO of. Grady is now in desperate need of an infusion of cash or they will cease to exist, so nothing has changed there either. The facts speak for themselves: either he was in on it, he was too incompetent or too scared to stop it, he was asleep at the wheel, or something else. It ultimately matters not because there is no excuse for that much corruption to go on on his watch, Res Ipsa Loquitor.

So, what is Vernon Jones up to now? He's running for U.S. Senate. No, I am not kidding. If this sounds familiar just read this.

I believe that in order to create a culture of corruption, you need the police the politicians, and the media to be in on it or at least looking the other way. I think you can all see how the police are in on it. I think through this piece and in my entire series you can see how the politicians are in on it. How is the media in on it? Well, ask yourself this question. Why is a blogger from the Midwest asking questions the media in Atlanta should be asking? I will leave you with the words of a hero, Derwin Brown.

There have always been a few who have stood up for the many, often at times when the many would not stand for themselves. Whether out of fear, intimidation, or ignorance there have always been those who ride the victories and sacrifices of others, cheering and celebrating as if they dared to make a difference. Yes, even some who would minister to you about God's power and the armor and shield that "the word" provides seem to falter in their convictions when it's time to "step out on faith" and challenge the unrighteousness found in their workplace, community or government. What sacrifice are you willing to make for truth and righteousness? Are you leading a double life, speaking of injustices in whispers, while exclaiming all your faith in the creator? These are questions for self-examination. Are you willing to pick up the drum of justice? "THE TIME IS NOW!! PEACE"

Amen!!

UPDATE: This story speaks for itself and I believe that if this is your first exposure to the crisis at Grady Hospital and the dynamics that surround it, you should still have no trouble understanding this piece. That said, I have put together a summary of the entire fiasco that tries to put all of its moving parts together in one piece. Please read it for guidance. Thus, if you want to see how Vernon Jones, Derwin Brown, et al fit into the mess at Grady Hospital please read the link I just provided. Also, please check out the recommendations that I and my colleagues have put together for fixing Grady Hospital.

Ball of Confusion

There are very few heroes in the sordid tale of Emory University and Grady Hospital however I believe Ron Marshall is one of them. He has graciously let me re print an editorial he recently wrote. So, without further adieu...

Here we go round the campaign bush, the every four year dance that has us all fooled in to believing something new is going to happen if you vote for me, no me, no me. There was a song that said “vote for me and I’ll set you free, rap on brothers’ rap on”. With this political race coming around and the same old faces are bubbling up. Where have they been the last four years? Most having the same old connections means we are going to have the same old results.

I wonder how many churches will have to be built before one step’s up and comments to saving our communities instead of seeing who can attract the larges congregation or be the most popular. Change your efforts please. Why haven’t these vital community resources gotten together and tried to find a solution to the crisis that has our communities spinning away into a tornado of self-destruction.

Why are we trying to save hospitals and educational facilities when it should be a way of life to have them with services that improve the quality of our lives? If your sheep are sick then they do not produce good wool. Has the sheep herder been keeping the sheep sick and in the dark so they do not question him? Why are we being stonewalled from finding out what our public money is being used for. Emory, Grady, PDK, and Marta secrets have paralyzed open and transparency laws and it seems the thought of having a Sunshine Law is a fraud.

What happen to parenting? How do we sit back and watch our children fail in the schools. Then, let the school system itself be a failure and more recently have our children fail in life and not riot before our commissions or our representatives? We all just jump on the band wagon, the one that everyone seems to hang on to for dear life when there race has the reigns. Where are the independent thinkers? You can’t pray for them to show up.

If not having water teaches us one thing it is we all need the same things and will die if we don’t have them. We must share our resources and preserve what’s left. Remember Easter Island? They used up everything and did not survive their paragon.

We took away the Native Americans’ belief that if respect the earth and each other it will give us a future. They also say our children are us. Now a days the parents and churches are teaching you must make riches and use plenty of our nature resources in the name of wealth. Who are you praying to?