Clinic Where Joan Rivers Went Into Cardiac Arrest Under Investigation
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The Upper East Side clinic where Joan Rivers went into cardiac arrest is now under investigation.
Security guards stood in front of Yorkville Endoscopy Thursday and said everyone had left for the day when asked to speak to someone about the investigation, CBS 2's Jessica Schneider reported.
Rivers went into cardiac and respiratory arrest while in for a procedure on her vocal cords. She died Thursday at the age of 81.
Now, the state Health Department is stepping in to investigate.
As CBS 2's Jessica Schneider reported, the center opened in 2013. The health department had inspected it before its opening and there are no complaints or violations against the facility, which is classified as an ambulatory surgery center.
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There are 11 doctors listed on the center's website. According to a website administered by New York State, almost all of the doctors have no disciplinary history.
One doctor, William Perlow, settled a malpractice suit for an undisclosed amount of money in September 2013. As Schneider reported, that lawsuit was likely brought up before Yorkville Endoscopy even opened.
Health Department investigators are already on site and going through the center's medical records and interviewing staff and doctors, CBS 2 reported.
"HIPAA laws prevent us from disclosing any information about patients. In the event of an adverse incident, Yorkville Endoscopy would promptly report to appropriate government and regulatory agencies and would proactively cooperate with any governmental review," a spokesperson for the clinic said in a statement.
On Thursday night, fans left flowers and paid tribute to the comedian outside her home on the Upper East Side.
"She was a survivor, stuck true to herself, and she'll be missed. There's nobody like her," Drew Smith said.
Rivers' funeral will be held Sunday at Temple Emanu-El on the Upper East Side.
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