Memorial Hermann doctor accused of secretly blocking liver transplants. Here’s what to know.

Officials are investigating allegations that a Houston surgeon was secretly altering patient information in a government database to make some of his own patients ineligible for transplants at Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center.

The hospital announced last week that it is suspending its liver-transplant program while federal regulators investigated irregularities pertaining to “donor acceptance criteria,” the Houston Chronicle reported.

Patients on Memorial Hermann’s liver transplant waitlist have died at disproportionate rates in recent years, according to data analyzed by the New York Times. The Times found that 14 patients were removed from the hospital’s waiting list after becoming too sick or dying. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients told the Times that the hospital’s mortality rate for transplant waitlist patients was abnormally high.

Records reviewed by the Times show that as of last month, the hospital had performed three liver transplants, while five patients had died or become too ill for a liver transplant.

“We acknowledge the severity of this allegation,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is also investigating the matter, said in a statement. “We are working diligently to address this issue with the attention it deserves.”

How has Memorial Hermann responded to the allegations?

The hospital defended Bynon on Friday , calling him an “extraordinary” doctor. Memorial Hermann said it is working on transferring its patients to other transplant programs. The hospital released the following statement Friday about the current status of the investigation and its response:

“Over the past two weeks, we have been actively working with all impacted patients, families and caregivers from the liver and the kidney transplant programs, following the difficult decision to voluntarily inactivate both programs. Our primary priority is ensuring continuity of compassionate care for patients who were on the transplant program lists at the hospital.

“Each patient is being individually contacted by a transplant care coordinator to review ongoing care options, including a seamless transition to another transplant program, where necessary.

“We are working with University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to make the necessary changes that will allow for the quick reactivation of the kidney transplant program under a different physician leadership structure.  All program transplant physicians are employed by the University of Health Science Center at Houston and contracted to Memorial Hermann to provide physician services.

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we continue to cooperate with all regulatory authorities.”