For surgeon Jonathan D'Cunha, a rising star in Minnesota medical circles and a specialist in treating lung disease, his move to UPMC a decade ago allowed him to join one of the most esteemed transplant centers in the nation.
His new boss, James Luketich, was in many ways a darling of the hospital system.
As the renowned head of the cardiothoracic surgery department, Dr. Luketich had become one of the top earners on the nonprofit juggernaut’s payroll, overseeing a UPMC transplant division that was carrying out scores of procedures a year.
But while their careers both seemed to be shining brightly, their paths would end up colliding.
While working in the lung transplant program, Dr. D'Cunha said he became alarmed over the number of complex surgeries his boss was carrying out at the same time – leaving some patients severely injured – while Dr. Luketich, in turn, accused his colleague of carrying on an affair with another doctor, research misconduct, and mounting a campaign against him.
Three years ago, Dr. D'Cunha made a move that would threaten one of the most respected hospital systems in the country.
The 54-year-old doctor filed a federal complaint that triggered a Justice Department investigation and has now turned into one of the largest scandals to unfold at UPMC in a generation, calling into question not only the ethics of Dr. Luketich but the leadership of the institution.
The surgeon and UPMC are under a dual legal attack – accused in a complaint by federal...
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