Whistleblower 9

Several women say lives ruined after Charlotte area OB-GYN performs surgery

By Paul Boyd
By Paul Boyd

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte area OB-GYN is facing serious complaints from some of her former patients. North Carolina's Medical Board is now investigating one of those complaints.

Several women came to Whistleblower 9, saying they suffered significant health problems after Dr. Chandra Smith Hollier performed surgery on them.

She was employed by Carolinas HealthCare System.

The former patients include Loretta Gaddy, Barbara Wilson, Barbara Howard, Sandra Medlin and Leshelle Hailey.

All said their lives were ruined after Hollier performed their surgeries.

Gaddy said last year, Hollier removed cysts from her ovaries. But she said something went wrong from the surgery, and she permanently lost control of her bladder and bowels.

"It's sad. I'm only 29. I need to have a pacemaker put in my bladder. Need to have a hysterectomy. Have to take morphine daily. I mean that's not right," Gaddy said.

Howard said Hollier operated on her in 2009 and says something went wrong during her surgery, too.

"All I know is when I woke up my mom said, 'They can't stop the bleeding, they can't stop the bleeding.' I was like, 'Oh, Lord, I'm going to die,’" Howard said.

Howard says a different doctor needed to operate and stop the bleeding.

Another former patient, Wilson, said Hollier removed both of her ovaries in 2010.

She said after the operation, images showed her intestines were sewn into the incision.

She required two additional surgeries. Wilson said her bowel was blocked and she suffered kidney failure because of a mistake during her surgeries. Now she said one of her kidneys no longer functions.

"It makes me angry and I want someone to have pay for it because I had two kidneys before I went in on Aug. 5, 2010," Wilson said.

What concerns Wilson most now is what she says happened after she asked Carolinas HealthCare System for her medical records.

She says the one image doctors showed her at the time -- of the intestine sewn into her incision -- was deleted.

"Everything else was there, but that was deleted. It was gone," Wilson said.

All of the women said they face staggering medical bills in the range of $100,000 each.

They believe Carolinas HealthCare System should compensate them.

Whistleblower 9 contacted Carolinas HealthCare System. A representative wrote in a statement:
 
"Dr. Chandra Smith Hollier is no longer employed at Carolinas HealthCare System.

She resigned earlier this year... Her last day in the office was January 27, 2016.

At Carolinas HealthCare System, we are committed to providing excellent, quality care to all of the patients we serve."

Gaddy filed an official complaint with the North Carolina Medical Board and says she's waiting to hear the results.

Whistleblower 9 searched online records and found Dr. Chandra Smith Hollier has an active medical license and can continue to practice medicine in the state of North Carolina.

Whistleblower 9 tried to reach Hollier for comment.

Her attorney, Mary Boyce Wells, emailed a response: "Unfortunately, state and federal HIPAA privacy laws prohibit us from discussing these matters. Dr Hollier has never been disciplined by the North Carolina Medical Board and holds a license in good standing in North Carolina."

The North Carolina Medical Board told Whistleblower 9 it can't comment on active investigations.

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