Opioid manufacturers such as Endo, the maker of Opana, and Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, targeted high-volume providers, in particular generalists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, who generally had less expertise in pain management and were more receptive to marketing from sales consultants, according to a lawsuit filed by the state of Tennessee against Endo in May 2019. #coffeeplease #noontime #rockrageradio www.rockrageradio.com Hed wear Halloween masks and make off-color jokes. Mellow and slow, it moves under the narration the way water moves through a stream.). Khazan: Even LaRhonda, the retired teacher who had soured on Jeff, told me that Jeff was the rare provider who would take her pain seriously. The nurse practitioner Jeffrey Young produced a reality-TV pilot in which he branded himself "the Rock Doc., The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? Though Young claimed that he also fired drug-seeking patients, Gutgsell testified in a deposition that he would meet some patients after hours and write them prescriptions anyway. (A moment of narrative silence. Thirty minutes. And I remember texting him back, and I remember saying, Jeff, he is a grumpy, old, country man, and hes not going to be an easy patient, but something is terribly wrong. And he said, I got that covered too. So I get my husband up there. Young seemed to have been expecting them. His friend Melanie Lupino, a local bartender, said he got girlfriends easily, so she was baffled by the notion that he would have to give people drugs to get sex. He was always polite. But one thing that I was really curious about is how you actually went from having opioids being a thing that existed to having opioids be a thing that existed in peoples medicine cabinets. Thank you for listening. Its joined at points by a line of harmony played on a synthesizer.). Meanwhile, LeAnn Naylor, the secretary of Jacksons former mayor, first told me over email that she stood by Young after his hearing, but then recently said shed started having doubts because Young would frequently hit on her adult daughter. You can all suck my d***. Dr. Jeff is married to Petra Mickova Petra though she is his second wife. The men each contributed $40,000 to the endeavor. (The drugmaker that is most often blamed for the epidemic doesnt agree with this assessment: Suggesting that activities that last occurred more than 16 years ago are responsible for todays complex and multifaceted opioid crisis is deeply flawed, a Purdue Pharma spokesperson, Robert Josephson, said in a statement to The New York Times for a story on this issue.). Thats okay. Updated at 10:28 p.m. The Tennessee Department of Health will not release audio recordings from a state investigation of "Rock Doc" Jeffrey W. Young II, a nurse practitioner who was allowed to stay in business . And people in the pilot gave testimonials saying as much. Young began arriving at the clinic smelling rancid, with greasy hair, and the clinics money problems mounted. Patel left soon after. And doctorswho work in what is, after all, a service professionsometimes feel that its easier to pacify the patient than to push back. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. Its light and upbeat.). every time. M.Y. (She did not want to be named for fear of jeopardizing her business.) The scenes are meant to serve as a testament to the effectiveness of Youngs work hard, play harder ethos. Young cries at his sons fifth-grade graduation, then explains that hes so emotional because his nurses are having their periods. When PreventaGenix closed, Young was alleged to have failed to pay part of the unemployment insurance, federal tax withholdings, and final payroll for the clinic, according to a lawsuit filed by his former partners, Reitz and Patel. They go on working. Calles: Oh my gosh. LeAnn Naylor: I have not had a lot of positive interactions with doctors. They do not have serious medical side effects. Case 18-11780-BLS Doc 45 Filed 08/02/18 Page 1 of 1041. Weeks after the indictment made national news, the clinic was packed with people coming and going, one woman who worked in a building with a view of the parking lot told me. And that was not the case at all. This distinction is important, because while nurse practitioners are functioning in the same capacity as physiciansordering and interpreting All rights reserved. Off camera, Young allegedly prescribed 1.4 million addictive pills and had sex with female patients. Branding himself the Rock Doc in a self-produced reality-TV pilot, Young would wear band T-shirts and blast music as he met with patients; he sometimes broadcast appointments and medical procedures on the live-streaming app Periscope. The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? Many people in Jackson seemed to see themselves in Young. In the past five years, at least 40 medical providers nationwide have been accused of exchanging sex for addictive drugs. The man says if he were ever shot, he would go to Young before going to the hospital. Because he prescribed my opiates, and I took them as prescribed, and I had no problems with it. In 2014, Young began seeing a patient identified as MY in a letter from Tennessees department of healtha letter that would ultimately lead to a nursing-board hearing for Young. This striking 6ft 3in person embodies kanji tattoos on his biceps, and the effortlessly cool personality will describe how one sees him. The clinic sat on a quiet road crammed with other medical practicesa sleep doctor, a dentist, a nephrologist, an orthodontisteach in its own brick McMansion. Fullington, who was also let go, told me she got a threatening call from Young. An obese man explains that Young helped him with his swollen leg. A Professional theme for architects, construction and interior designers I had had back surgery, and I really had real problems that no one wanted to listen to me about. Over the past two decades, opioids have claimed more than 450,000 American lives. It really meant a lot to me. With Young at least temporarily behind bars, some of his fans seem to have reached a point of disillusionment with the Rock Docor, at least, a point of fatigue. But maybe, just maybe, he showed too much. Jackson nurse-practitioner Jeffrey Young, known as the "Rock Doc," was released on bond and will be allowed to continue treating patients, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Young: (Serious, and a little angry.) An active and fun show following the life of FNP Jeff Young II at work and his life after work. There were reports of after-hours partiespossibly of Jeff having sex with his patients. November 7, 2018, marked the beginning of legal repercussions for Young. (Court records do not contain the names of Youngs alleged victims.) 1:32. (There were different Jeff Youngs in [the Records Management System] and I had very little information so he was not added to the report, the police report states.) Many of the people I interviewedincluding some of Youngs former patients and employeesasked to remain anonymous, often because they feared retribution at the hands of Young and his friends. Khazan: In one sense, I understand some of Jeffs patients defensiveness toward him. After he opened the new clinic, Youngs sexual behavior with patients allegedly continued, as did the towns willingness to ignore it. Stephanie had been in an abusive relationship and dealt with a slew of other traumas. Some people from the area said they had been harassed by Jeff and were afraid to speak out. So what, I dont go get fucked up at the country club with the rest of the stiffs here in J-Town? Supposedly candid confessions from Young about his life are interspersed with complimentary interviews with patients. Later that month, M.Y. Khazan: Or stitch someone up after they cut themselves on a wine glass. Longoria: This week, Olga Khazan peers into an internet portal to try to find one answer to how on earth we found ourselves in an opioid crisis. At this point, the people of Jackson knew the full extent of officials suspicions about Young. (A shudder, a gasp, then clapping and bubbling evolve into a background track.). This episode was reported by Olga Khazan and produced by Alvin Melathe. Never give up God is full of second chances, one woman wrote. The half-dozen former patients who did agree to talk with me were mostly people who wanted to defend Jeff. Fact-check by Michelle Ciarrocca and Jack Segelstein. (The DEA declined to comment on Youngs case for this story.) I mean, you could just kind of tell you could trust him. Former employees speculated that he met the women in bars. a dangerous combination of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. According to a medical-board report, one employee recalled Young having sex in his office with a patient who appeared to be drugged; when Young left, she was passed out on the couch. Naylor: (A sharp inhale.) The self-proclaimed "Rock Doc" is accused of trading powerful . Young: (Over hard-rock music.) Though the system came slowly for Young, during the years he was being investigated America underwent a national reckoning about opioids. So it just kind of, I guess, comforted me. (Plucky yet funky music plays. Its gonna be a little cold, all right? Officials were well aware of the allegations surrounding him over this period: The states health department had received at least 13 complaints about Young since 2015. Im Julia Longoria. (Topix has since been shut down.) In addition to steroid shots, Young prescribed her oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall for her various medical issues. Well all be killed., It helped that Young had prominent friends he could call on for help. Phillips, Youngs best friend, would often stop by the clinic to hang out and drink, according to former employees. Yes. (Fades under.). The sharpteeth charge through and run into the rock spire and fall down. He was the casual party guy, not the stuffy doctor. One young man told me he went to Youngs house that year to pay cash for a vial, knowing that a traditional doctor would be unlikely to prescribe testosterone to a healthy teenage boy. No one else seemed capable of treating all her problemsthroat swelling, high blood pressure, attention issues. Over that time, his online following grew. Yeah, thats prettythats very distressing. His case offers a unique look at the opioid crisis. At least 50 women are thought to have come to the clinic to have sex with Young, some of them allegedly doing so in exchange for drugs, according to court testimony. They entered the office and ordered the clinics staffers to lie on the floor. The resulting addictions were blamed on reckless patients, rather than the fundamental chemistry of the opioids themselves. Longoria: And what part of the crisis were you most focused on? One of them was that I had the story all wrong. He pleaded not guilty to the . Look at me! Young was indicted on drug-trafficking charges in April 2019. I asked to speak with him for this story, but because of a gag order on the case, his lawyer declined interviews with me. Patients, meanwhile, dont always know that medical boards exist in the first place, or that they can complain to them if theyve been wronged, Lisa Robin, the chief advocacy officer for the Federation of State Medical Boards, says. Jackson, a city of about 70,000 people, looks like almost any midsize patch of America that sprang up sometime after the Pilgrims but before Microsoft. Jeffrey Young wanted to give you a real look inside his clinic. (In response to a request for comment, a health-department spokesperson noted that, according to state law, the department cant suspend medical licenses without first giving practitioners the opportunity to demonstrate compliance regarding the allegations against them. Occupation (s) Guitarist. Brown hair, green eyes, amazing body. He smells them again. Longoria: And one of those worst of the worst providers stood out from the others. He made them feel comfortable in a way that no other doctor did. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and is currently in jail awaiting trial. In an email to The Atlantic, Working said that when it came to Phillipss actions, there was no direct threat. This requirement is waived, however, in cases where public health, safety, or welfare imperatively requires emergency action.). Young: So, the, uh, the sinister ministerthat would be me (Fades under again.). Scott Deberry: I just didnt like all the bickering on social media and in that newspaper. Young was a people pleaser, as one former employee described him. Theres this moment in one of the videos that I keep thinking about: Young: (Over more pool filtration.) Were going to take the worst of the worst. Obesity and diabetes are rampant; so is chronic pain. Khazan: But she did remember this one hint shed had that something might be wrong in Jeffs office. Calles: And I mean, he didnt dress like your average doctor. Make and Model: The only Billboard Hot 100 entry for new wave greats The Cars with an automotive title to match their band name . But the allegations against him point toward what can be permissible, even celebrated, in a medical system built on profit. (The music changes tone, becoming a little more up-tempo and treble-heavy.). ET on January 28, 2021. Nurse practitioner Jeff Young, known as the "Rock Doc," and . Khazan: Christi Calles was the patient who loved listening to Stairway to Heaven.. They would shut off the power so they had an excuse to close the clinic on those days. Yeah. Thrash metal, heavy metal, speed metal, blues, classical. I dont wear underwear. (Fades under.). (The two clap each others backs in a half-hug.). I just asked him. He gave Young total control over what was recorded. Know his wife, age, net worth, family, They described Young to me as intelligent, as knowing almost as much as a doctor would knowor maybe even more. #saturdays at noon est to hear #nikkidarling chat with the #RockDoc Jeff Young II #musicmeetmedicine Starts at 12pm est. And I said, And they say that youre trading sex for medication. He was like, You know, these motherfuckers lie all the damn time. [Chuckles.] Am I a misogynist, or do women just like rough sex? Young asks himself in one video. Khazan: Tanya had a different theory about where all the criticism was actually coming from. Aggressive marketing is one piece of it. Calles: Doctors judged me because of my weight. In one post, tagged with American holocaust, he writes, I have always been a survivor and have scars of significance to symbolize thus, and this is where they have underestimated me and my resolve., In March 2020, after the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Young petitioned the court to be released to house arrest because he was on immunosuppressive drugs for a kidney transplant he had years ago and was concerned about the risk of complications from COVID-19. The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? Trust him I a misogynist, or welfare imperatively requires emergency action. ) action. ) why was nearly! 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