the 07/23/2008

Cosmetic doc fired for mpairment?

B eth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has fired a high-profile plastic surgeon- who once criticized third-rate cosmetic doctors during a“Dateline NBC” expose - after an“impairment” issue during a surgery he conducted lastmonth.

Dr. Loren J. Borud, 44, was fired effective Friday, the hospitalsaid in a statement. The firing came two days after the Heraldbegan inquiries into two previous allegations of impairmentinvolving Borud that date to 2001. Two medical sources said Borudhad been disciplined internally by the hospital twice in the pastseven years.

The Board of Registration in Medicine, which investigatescomplaints against Massachusetts doctors, has been notified, thehospital said.

Borud was suspended June 30 following a June 27 incident at thehospital, said Kenneth Sands, the facility’s senior vicepresident of health care quality. He would not say when thedecision was made to fire Borud.

He also would not specify the nature of Borud’s“impairment.”

“This is a timely action related to timely events,”Sands said.

The Borud incident occurred three days before an unrelatedwrong-site surgery was performed at the Harvard-affiliatedhospital, prompting a state investigation.

Borud runs Loren J. Borud Plastic Surgery, which operates out ofBeth Israel and offers Botox, breast implants, liposuction andother cosmetic procedures.

According to his business Web site, Borud is certified by theAmerican Board of Plastic Surgery and is a full-time faculty memberat Harvard Medical School, teaching in the Plastic SurgeryResidency Program.

“We pride ourselves on providing the individual care andattention of a private practice setting with the impeccable safetystandards and resources of a top-tier Harvard hospital,” thesite says of Borud, who appeared in a 2005 “DatelineNBC” report on third-rate cosmetic surgery abroad.

Telephone and e-mail messages left for Borud on Friday andyesterday were not returned. He did not answer the door at the homein Newton listed as his address.

Borud is on medical leave “at the moment,” according toan automatic e-mail reply generated from Borud’s hospitalaccount yesterday. His attorney, Bruce Singal, declined to comment.

In an interview Thursday, Sands declined to comment onBorud’s work history. Asked if the hospital knew of allegedimpairment issues prior to June 27, Sands replied:

“We followed all required and recommended processes, makinguse of the Physician Health Services in Massachusetts,” aprogram of the Massachusetts Medical Society. “That isconsidered the best option in these cases.”

Physician Health Services is a nonprofit corporation that providesconfidential consultation and support to physicians, residents andmedical students facing health concerns related to alcoholism,substance abuse and behavioral or mental-health issues.

Borud’s “physician profile” on the Web site forthe Board of Registration in Medicine lists no record of reportablehospital disciplinary action in the past 10 years.