Behind the scenes: Texas Medical Board suspends Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) — The I-Team has obtained a rare look inside an emergency hearing where the Texas Medical Board suspended Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz for allegedly harming patients.
In the video, on Friday, September 9th, at 2:00 p.m., six members of the Texas Medical Board popped onto a screen for the online hearing.
"I call this meeting of the Texas Disciplinary Board to order on the ninth day of September 2022," says Dr. James DiStephano.
Earlier in the week, Baylor Scott and White Surgicare Center in North Dallas had announced it was shutting down its facility. Throughout the second week of September, media had reported that the hospital discovered someone tampered with IV bags which had possibly causing harm to its patients.
While the I-Team obtained this video hearing through an open records request, the video meeting took place behind closed doors.
"We see information from federal law [enforcement agencies] that was investigating these events and it fundamentally substantiated these reports in the news," says Board Attorney Georgette Oden.
Throughout the hearing, panel members discuss the case and surveillance video taken inside the facility.
"He was actually putting an individual IV bag into the IV warmer as opposed to taking an IV bag out," says a board member referencing the video.
Federal investigators say following these incidents caught on camera one fellow doctor, who took home a bag because she was dehydrated, died.
"When the police arrived at her residence…they found her dead with the IV still in her arm. The Dallas Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy which concluded that the cause of death was a heart attack resulting from accidental bupivacaine poisoning," says another doctor on the panel.
Next, the panel talks about when other patients at the facility went into cardiac arrest during routine procedures.
"The events happened pretty much when those bags were put in and then when the bag was taken out and my understanding is there were no events that happened when he was on vacation and appeared at a time when there were no bags being placed into that warmer," says a doctor on the panel.
"Correct," Oden responds.
"None of these events happened to his patients, meaning Dr. Ortiz, correct?" questions another doctor.
"That is my understanding," Oden responds.
"Not only that…but my understanding is that he refused to take a bag…," says a panel member. "….when someone offered him one," another panel member finishes the sentence.
At nine minutes into the video hearing, Oden warns the panel that the hearing is public record. She tells the doctors to be careful discussing the confidential memorandum which they have just received from law enforcement.
"We don't want to include confidential information in the public record of this proceeding."
Four minutes later, the panel states, "Raynoldo Ortiz is a continuing threat to public welfare."
The entire hearing lasts 15 minutes 15 seconds.
The Board votes to temporarily suspend Dr. Ortiz's medical license.
And, the panel agrees to contact Dr. Ortiz immediately.
HOURS LATER
Later that Friday night, Dr. Ortiz told CBS 11 reporter Andrea Lucia he did not know about the suspension.
He later denied all the accusations to Lucia.
DAYS LATER
In the coming days, investigators arrested Dr. Ortiz.
He has since been indicted on five counts for tampering with IV bags and five counts for adulteration of drugs.
Dr. Ortiz is now being held without bond waiting for trial next month.
The I-Team reached out to Dr. Ortiz' attorney but he stated that Dr. Ortiz had "no comment."
