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Day three

Inside a secret report

Brain surgeon's care outlined patient by patient

By Rachel Brand, Rocky Mountain News
November 4, 2003

Conflict swirled around Dr. Issam Awad from almost the moment he arrived in January 2001 as chairman of the neurosurgery department at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

And by this past summer, after more than a year of warnings, the neurosurgery residency program at CU was put on probation by a national accrediting panel because of conflicts with Awad in the department and other issues.

By July 2002, four senior neurosurgeons at CU - Drs. Robert Breeze, Glenn Kindt, Kevin Lillehei and Ken Winston - had complained in writing to the University Hospital medical board about the quality of Awad's care and his ethics - complaints Awad says were malicious and false.

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ONLINE EXTRA:

Peer report

Awad's notice of intent to sue

Awad's lawsuit

Statements in support of Awad

Awad archives

Day one: A report by a committee for University Hospital's medical board recommended permanently revoking privileges for Dr. Awad after finding substandard care. The medical board instead reinstated his privileges.
FULL REPORT »

Day two: What a hospital investigating committee said about five of the 10 cases it reviewed and the personal stories of some of those patients and their families.
FULL REPORT »

THE ACCUSED:

Dr. Issam Awad
Age: 47
Positions: Former chairman of the neurosurgery department, Ogsbury-Kindt Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurology and Pathology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
FULL BIO »

THE ACCUSERS:
These are the four senior neurosurgeons who
initiated a peer review of Dr. Issam Awad:


Dr. Robert E. Breeze CU medical school professor and director of inpatient services, University Hospital FULL BIO »	Dr. Glenn W. Kindt CU medical school professor and former chairman of neurosurgery FULL BIO »	Dr. Kevin Lillehei CU medical school professor and director of clinics, University Hospital FULL BIO »	Dr. Ken Winston CU medical school professor and director of pediatric neurosurgery program FULL BIO »

THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE:
These five doctors and professors at the University of Colorado School of Medicine were appointed by the University Hospital medical board to investigate allegations of substandard care by Dr. Issam Awad:


Dr. Gerald Rainer, distinguished clinical professor of surgery	Thomas Henthorn, chairman of anesth-esiology	Benjamin Honigman, head of the division of emergency medicine	Robert McIntyre, associate professor of surgery	Stuart A. Schneck, professor emeritus of neurology

THE OUTSIDE CONSULTANT:

Dr. James T. Robertson
This is the neurosurgeon who advised the five non-neurosurgeon doctors who investigated Dr. Issam Awad for University Hospital’s medical board.
Position: Former chairman of neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee at Memphis
FULL BIO »