Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information. Some of Youngs dalliances with his patient-friends similarly took a dark turn. Young did seem to be famous enough in Jackson, however, to reinforce his own grand vision of himself. Why didnt anyone try to put a stop to this? I just had a lot of questions about how could this happen, you know? It was just rocked out. He invited a cameraman to document his life and eventually had it edited into a pilot for a reality-TV show. When PreventaGenix closed, Young was alleged to have failed to pay part of the unemployment insurance, federal tax withholdings, and final payroll for the clinic, according to a lawsuit filed by his former partners, Reitz and Patel. Khazan: And he posted dozens of videos there. Scott Deberry: Everyone in his office was all white. Look at me! So what? When it was getting close to the end of when I was going, it would be packed. The grosser side. They didnt try to become reality-TV stars. Wear a short skirt and no panties.. One other factor might help account for his long, illicit career: the sheer number of patients who stood by him, almost to the very end. He refilled MYs prescriptions for Percocet and Valium, and also prescribed him hydrocodone. PreventaGenix, with its Doric columns and grand portico, appeared to preside over the rest. Long after the criminal charges against him became known, many of Youngs patients and friends came to his defenseincluding some whom he had seemingly wronged. Several people suggested suing for defamation a news station that reported on the incident. The men each contributed $40,000 to the endeavor. Though both she and Reaves said Young should be held accountable for anything he did wrong, Stephanie told me that she forgave him. Khazan: When I first started talking to Jeffs former patients, I thought I understood this story. ), (What sounds like road noise plays in the background of a Periscope clip. Young and the others were among dozens of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists arrested across seven states, targets in the nations largest takedown of medical providers related to prescription opioids. He soon opened a new clinic, which he called GeneXis Health. Young grabs them and takes a big whiff. All rights reserved. Though many of these deaths have been caused by street drugs such as heroin and illegally manufactured fentanyl, the nations opioid epidemic was sparked by the kinds of painkillers medical providers prescribed. His Rock Doc persona helped him connect with patients who might never have felt comfortable in a traditional doctors office. In August 2015, Young prescribed MY what the letter calls a dangerous combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. Purdue voice-over: Often, it will be an opioid medication. Young was indicted on drug-trafficking charges in April 2019. The allegations, when they started coming, though, really started coming fast. They married in 2014 and lived right above his vet clinic in Denver. I asked to speak with him for this story, but because of a gag order on the case, his lawyer declined interviews with me. The music plays on.). Dan Reaves, a local radio host on whose show Young occasionally appeared as part of a marketing plan, described Young as medically gifted. The feds say Young . Prosecutors say Young used his rebellious persona to take advantage of patients, distributing highly addictive painkillers on demand and in large quantities for profitand, often, his own sexual gratification. (The case did not result in a conviction.) Khazan: The one that caught my eye was this guy named Jeff Young, a nurse practitioner who called himself the Rock Doc, quote-unquote. But that did not put a stop to Youngs ambitions. In 2013, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder that is usually accompanied by widespread pain and fatigue. Most of these doctors werent like Jeff. ), Youngs sexual desires and need to please patients allegedly soon blurred together. Later that month, M.Y. Thats okay. The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? Im too good for you because I got this money, or whatever. Our team also includes Gabrielle Berbey, Emily Botein, Matt Collette, Tracie Hunte, and me, Natalia Ramirez. The resulting addictions were blamed on reckless patients, rather than the fundamental chemistry of the opioids themselves. Young seemed to have been expecting them. Will be glad to take the balance out of your ass. To another, Jeff asked, You want to come by for a checkup tomorrow? Rather than call for help, Young walked away and left me on the ground, she told me. About four years after its investigation began, the nursing board finally held a hearing to consider his fate. Khazan: Do you feel like Jeff has done more harm than good? This distinction is important, because while nurse practitioners are functioning in the same capacity as physiciansordering and interpreting She was referred to Jeff by one of her friends. Calles: I dont know. Use the hashtag #TheExperimentPodcast, or write to us at theexperiment@theatlantic.com. Every single time I went to that doctor and I left, Stairway to Heaven played. Scott Deberry: But after a while, when you read stuff, how many people could be wrong? Dr. Jeff is married to Petra Mickova Petra though she is his second wife. Together, they are the parents of three children and have seven grandchildren. Though criminal cases against doctors and nurse practitioners like Young are still relatively rare, they are growing more common. As so often happens with irresponsible medical providers, Youngs popularity in the communityalong with an indifferent, slow-moving bureaucracyallowed him to operate for half a decade despite initial warning signs and then multiple arrests and investigations. We wont know if Young is guilty of everything the government says he is, or how much additional time, if any, he will serve, until later this year. He graduated from Musicians Institute in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal band Megadeth, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good. Jackson Sun. [Laughs.] Health care is one of the Jackson areas most important industries, and West Tennessee Healthcare, which once employed Young, is the largest employer in the county. Patients would spend an hour or two in the waiting room, only to get a rushed exam and prescription. They dont want to touch you unless they have to touch you. Khazan: When Jeffs indictment became public, LeAnnlike many of his former patientswas suspicious at first. I am very nervous about it, she replied. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago. [Laughs lightly.] A few months into their new venture, Reitz and Young were supposed to meet to discuss the running of the clinic. Young would call these liaisons nooners or say it was tap-that-ass Tuesday, according to court testimony. One story I found in a letter from Jeffs nursing-board case stuck with me. Aw, shit! He even convinced her to get weight-loss surgery. With Young at least temporarily behind bars, some of his fans seem to have reached a point of disillusionment with the Rock Docor, at least, a point of fatigue. She told me that Jeff took her pain seriously. I mean, I worked at a bank for 15 years, and when youve worked at a bank and youve cashed checks, you have to judge people in two seconds. Jeff wanted what was best for his patient. In March 2019, the health department received a complaint that Young had inappropriate sexual contact with patients, and sent him a letter of warning without disciplining him. Multiple surveys show that people tend to trust health-care workers more than they trust many other professionals, including police officers and clergy members. ), Khazan: So doctors were kind of like, Okay.. Khazan: LeAnns story was similar to Tanyas and LaRhondas and Christis. Even now, I cant say that. The next morning, the office manager, Kristie Gutgsell, would clean up after them. Khazan: Tanya had a different theory about where all the criticism was actually coming from. Weeks after the indictment made national news, the clinic was packed with people coming and going, one woman who worked in a building with a view of the parking lot told me. Young was late to the office almost every day. Olga Khazan: At the time, there wasnt a lot of limits on pharmaceutical companies being able to tell doctors that. It surprised her, but Jeff was attuned to all that. Patients say the Rock Doc helped them like no one else could. He would chitchat with his patients, ask them about their latest tattoos. After the hearing, Young was jailed pending his trial, which is currently scheduled to be held this spring. But the allegations against him point toward what can be permissible, even celebrated, in a medical system built on profit. Being around Young made her feel emotionally safe, she said. Were going to take the worst of the worst. Once again, there was an outpouring of support. Tune in today! Young: Even get all gussied up for tonight. Whats up kids? As the nursing boards investigation of Young inched along, another agency launched its own probe into the Rock Doc. Khazan: Do you remember what kind of music was playing? Watching this makes me really sad, one YouTube user commented on the Rock Doc pilot in 2019. In 2012, Young was working at a cardiology practice in Jackson when, with a consultant named Rich Reitz and cardiologist named Dharmesh Patel, he set up a side business giving talks to doctors about treating heart attacks and strokes. Hed also given her tips on how to eat better and how to lose weight. They didnt play Stairway to Heaven or have Periscope accounts. Naylor: I felt like he was being treated unfairlythat maybe he had even been set up. I dont wear underwear. Naylor: Thats a really hard question for me to answer, because I believeour whole family believesthat he saved my husbands life. Naylor: I said, Go see Jeff. And she said, Id rather not. And I said, Why? And she said, Because if I go see him, hell start texting me and calling me. And I said, And wanting to go out with you? And she said, Yeah. Thats the thing. It feels claustrophobic.). Then it rewinds into nothingness.). Rudins lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. On it, they found evidence of Young having sex with many different women, one of whom appeared to be motionless and had her eyes closed, a DEA agent testified later. Women were drawn to Young; he had a big house and was the first to buy everyones drink. To a different patient, he wrote, Come fuck me at my office right now., It is not illegal for doctors to have sex with their patients, though its considered unethical. (A snare hit plays, and the music changes tone again. Hey, are you paying attention? Trial dates have been set for "Rock Doc" Jeffery Young, his supervising physicians, and two more medical professionals recently indicted on additional drug trafficking charges. And doctorswho work in what is, after all, a service professionsometimes feel that its easier to pacify the patient than to push back. Khazan: So, like, that doctor-patient interaction and how the opioids actually got prescribed. Downtown has an old-fashioned square, a few coffee shops striving for trendiness, and some suburban standbysMcAlisters Deli, Kohls, Chilis, Panera Breadall connected by well-maintained roads and featuring black oceans of parking lots. Thats very distressing Yeah, Im shocked, you know? 0:04. Lax regulations played a role. States largely rely on medical boards to regulate practitioners, but these entities have a reputation for leniency. Sometimes he wore scrubs, but most of the time he had on jeans, scrub tops, and a rock T-shirt, and a doctors jacket. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and is currently in jail awaiting trial. Dang, Jeff What happened? Helena Louvaris and Melanie Lupino, two of Youngs staunch defenders, both declined to speak with me when I called them back to see if they still supported him after he was jailed. Why would you go to this doctor? This requirement is waived, however, in cases where public health, safety, or welfare imperatively requires emergency action.). One agent testified in court that the bureau had uncovered Facebook messages such as one sent to Young in August 2016 by someone known in court as SW: My girl for eight years is an addict You write her any more scripts youre going to kill her, man. Meanwhile, many of Youngs patient charts had allegedly stopped being monitored: One supervising physician came in once, reviewed Youngs charts, and withdrew from the supervising agreement immediately based on what he saw. For the cosmetically minded, he hosted alcohol-fueled Botox parties. Young and Phillips, both longtime musicians, reveal that theyre working on some rap songs about Youngs haters, then ponder how to do gang signs. Purdue Pharma ad voice-over: Once youve found the right doctor and have told him or her about your pain, dont be afraid to take what they give you. He has been arrested several times, though not convicted, for assaulting women. The Rock Doc affectations, Louvaris said, merely show that hes different from other doctors. One employee recalled him sometimes being too drunk to see patients. His lawyer also declined to answer any specific allegations. Though Young claimed that he also fired drug-seeking patients, Gutgsell testified in a deposition that he would meet some patients after hours and write them prescriptions anyway. Sound design by David Herman. Listen to the trailer for Holy Week. They go on working. Instead, Young began by kicking Reitz out of the business, Reitz told me. A transcript of this episode is presented below: (Abruptly, rock music begins to play, and then, just as quickly, it ends with a light echo.). And no education whatsoever, Phillips jokes. And the word that kept coming up when people described Jeff is comfortable. Jeffrey Young wanted to give you a real look inside his clinic. 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