{"id":24138,"date":"2017-03-01T16:49:23","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T16:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/?p=24138"},"modified":"2017-03-01T16:49:31","modified_gmt":"2017-03-01T16:49:31","slug":"vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/","title":{"rendered":"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"92nd<\/a><\/p>\n

As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.\u201d It is an observation that holds true, apparently, even in the operating room.<\/p>\n

The treatment of Joan Rivers<\/a> at a Manhattan endoscopy clinic last month may be the latest example of what is known in the medical profession as \u201cV.I.P. Syndrome,\u201d in which famous or influential patients get special treatment. And surprisingly often, it is not for the best.<\/p>\n

Dr. Barron H. Lerner, an internist at NYU Langone Medical Center, said that when he was a young doctor-in-training at another hospital and famous patients arrived, \u201cThere was always a buzz.\u201d Doctors were warned in advance of the dangers of becoming star-struck. But in the same, albeit contradictory, breath, they were given special instructions \u201cabout what to do and what not to do, given that they were famous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>
Huguette Clark, the copper heiress, stayed at a New York hospital for 20 years despite not being sick.<\/span> Credit<\/span>Associated Press<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ms. Rivers died on Sept. 4, several days after going into cardiac arrest following a routine endoscopy, a procedure that involved the insertion of a tiny camera to look down her throat into her digestive system. The doctor who performed the endoscopy allowed Ms. Rivers\u2019s throat doctor to examine her as well, even though the throat doctor was not authorized to practice at the clinic. This was a violation of state law, according to people who have been briefed on the matter.<\/p>\n

The New York State Health Department is investigating Ms. Rivers\u2019s care. Neither doctor has been accused of wrongdoing or of contributing to her death. The city medical examiner has not reached a conclusion on what caused her to die.<\/p>\n

Several doctors said that if the clinic, Yorkville Endoscopy, had granted a privilege to Ms. Rivers that they would not have granted to a typical patient, it could be seen as a case of V.I.P. Syndrome. It is unclear who coined the term, but it was described in a 1964 article by a psychiatrist, Dr. Walter Weintraub, in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, <\/em>where he wrote, \u201cthe treatment of an influential man can be extremely hazardous for both patient and doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n

For doctors, he said, \u201cThe V.I.P., cursed with the touch of Midas, arouses only resentment and fear.\u201d Physicians, Dr. Weintraub wrote, tend to perceive V.I.P. patients as demanding and manipulative and to resent them for it, which can diminish the quality of their care.<\/p>\n

For hospital administrators, on the other hand, he said, \u201cThe V.I.P. is more than just a patient. He is also an object to be bartered for future favors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huguette Clark<\/a>, the copper heiress who spent the last 20 years of her life in a series of Manhattan hospital rooms, has been portrayed as such a bargaining chip. In a pending case against Beth Israel Medical Center, the administrators of her estate contend that Mrs. Clark needed psychiatric treatment, but that the hospital preferred not to provide it and in effect kept her captive so she could be courted as a potential benefactor. The hospital said she stayed there willingly, because she felt at home, and gave it part of her fortune \u2014 including a $3 million Manet painting \u2014 out of gratitude. (Most of her $300 million fortune was donated to charity after a court battle with her distant relatives.)<\/p>\n

In the throes of V.I.P. Syndrome, doctors may become overly deferential, suspending their usual medical judgment, experts say.<\/div>\n

Steve Jobs told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, that he regretted putting off surgery<\/a> for a cancerous tumor on his pancreas, instead trying alternative remedies, while the cancer spread.<\/p>\n

Photo<\/span><\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>
Apple founder Steve Jobs regretted avoiding surgery on a cancerous tumor.<\/span>Credit<\/span>Jim Wilson\/The New York Times<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOften with V.I.P. patients, doctors won\u2019t say, \u2018Joe Famous Person, look, you have to take your medicine or you have to come in for surgery immediately,\u2019\u00a0\u201d Dr. Robert Klitzman, a professor of psychiatry and director of the masters of bioethics program at Columbia University, said.<\/p>\n

Standing up to a V.I.P. patient can be difficult. Dr. Klitzman remembered once taking care of the daughter of a \u201chousehold name\u201d writer. \u201cThe household name was a very powerful presence and wanted things their way,\u201d he said. \u201cIt took more gumption than I usually had to stand up and say what was best for the patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Lerner said he first became interested in V.I.P. Syndrome while writing a book about breast cancer during which he researched the cases of Betty Ford, Happy Rockefeller, Shirley Temple Black and other famous women with the disease. Mrs. Ford was given a radical mastectomy, which had been the procedure of choice but was falling out of favor as women and some doctors began calling for less aggressive operations, he said. \u201cBut as the president\u2019s wife, there was no doubt that she would receive the traditional operation,\u201d Dr. Lerner said.<\/p>\n

He became so fascinated that he wrote a book in 2006 about the problem, \u201cWhen Illness Goes Public: Celebrity Patients and How We Look at Medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Probably the most notorious example of a doctor catering to a celebrity is the case of Michael Jackson, who died after his private doctor gave him Propofol, a surgical anesthetic, to help him sleep. The doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter<\/a> and spent two years in prison.<\/p>\n

Yorkville Endoscopy has said that it cannot comment on any patient\u2019s care. The gastroenterologist who performed the endoscopy, Dr. Lawrence B. Cohen, has resigned as the clinic\u2019s medical director.<\/p>\n

Dr. Gwen S. Korovin, who was identified by TMZ as Ms. Rivers\u2019s throat doctor, was known for treating celebrities, with previous news reports listing Patti LuPone, Hugh Jackman and Nathan Lane among her patients. Don Imus, the radio host, told listeners last week that she was his doctor.<\/p>\n

Dr. Korovin has not publicly acknowledged being Ms. Rivers\u2019s doctor. Asked whether she had been in the clinic during the procedure, her lawyer, Michael S. Kelton, released a statement last week that said Dr. Korovin was \u201crevered by her patients\u201d but could not talk about them because of privacy laws.<\/p>\n

Dr. Lerner said of Ms. Rivers\u2019s care, \u201cIf things were going on there that were outside of the protocol, it\u2019s certainly possible that there was V.I.P. Syndrome.\u201d But he also cautioned against jumping to conclusions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes just bad things happen to famous people with very good doctors,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

\n

From NYtimes.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[244,391],"class_list":["post-24138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal-blog","tag-medical-malpractice-2","tag-joan-rivers"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1) - MMG Resources<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.\u201d […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MMG Resources\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-03-01T16:49:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-03-01T16:49:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MediaBeast\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MediaBeast\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"MediaBeast\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f1e4fbc14f15dffe99af02d0efb60287\"},\"headline\":\"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1)\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-01T16:49:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-03-01T16:49:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1111,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/clekis.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"medical malpractice\",\"Joan Rivers\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Legal Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/\",\"name\":\"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1) - MMG Resources\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/clekis.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-01T16:49:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-03-01T16:49:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f1e4fbc14f15dffe99af02d0efb60287\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/clekis.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/clekis.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/\",\"name\":\"MMG Resources\",\"description\":\"Company Portal\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f1e4fbc14f15dffe99af02d0efb60287\",\"name\":\"MediaBeast\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"\\\/\\\/www.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2f2d8caf201e84c7b1c6349c85ac5699?s=96&r=g&d=mm\",\"url\":\"\\\/\\\/www.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2f2d8caf201e84c7b1c6349c85ac5699?s=96&r=g&d=mm\",\"contentUrl\":\"\\\/\\\/www.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2f2d8caf201e84c7b1c6349c85ac5699?s=96&r=g&d=mm\",\"caption\":\"MediaBeast\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/themediabeast.com\\\/resources\\\/author\\\/mediabeast\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1) - MMG Resources","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1)","og_description":"As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me.\u201d […]","og_url":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/","og_site_name":"MMG Resources","article_published_time":"2017-03-01T16:49:23+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-03-01T16:49:31+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"MediaBeast","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MediaBeast","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/"},"author":{"name":"MediaBeast","@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/f1e4fbc14f15dffe99af02d0efb60287"},"headline":"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1)","datePublished":"2017-03-01T16:49:23+00:00","dateModified":"2017-03-01T16:49:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/"},"wordCount":1111,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg","keywords":["medical malpractice","Joan Rivers"],"articleSection":["Legal Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/","url":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/","name":"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1) - MMG Resources","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg","datePublished":"2017-03-01T16:49:23+00:00","dateModified":"2017-03-01T16:49:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/f1e4fbc14f15dffe99af02d0efb60287"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/clekis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/joan-rivers1-199x300.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/vip-syndrome-may-lead-joan-rivers-death-clekis-1\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is VIP Syndrome, and how it may have lead to Joan Rivers death. (Clekis-1)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/#website","url":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/","name":"MMG Resources","description":"Company Portal","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/#\/schema\/person\/f1e4fbc14f15dffe99af02d0efb60287","name":"MediaBeast","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f2d8caf201e84c7b1c6349c85ac5699?s=96&r=g&d=mm","url":"\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f2d8caf201e84c7b1c6349c85ac5699?s=96&r=g&d=mm","contentUrl":"\/\/www.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f2d8caf201e84c7b1c6349c85ac5699?s=96&r=g&d=mm","caption":"MediaBeast"},"url":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/author\/mediabeast\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24138"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24139,"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24138\/revisions\/24139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themediabeast.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}