We got a very, uh, important (Fades under.). Khazan: When I first started talking to Jeffs former patients, I thought I understood this story. Young would continue to prescribe drugs there for two more years. [Laughs.] His Rock Doc persona helped him connect with patients who might never have felt comfortable in a traditional doctors office. Several others dismissed the notion that Young could be sexually coercive. One of his patients, Helena Louvaris, told me that Young saved her life by putting her on a diet plan. Young and Phillips, both longtime musicians, reveal that theyre working on some rap songs about Youngs haters, then ponder how to do gang signs. The men each contributed $40,000 to the endeavor. (The case did not result in a conviction.) The Experiment is a co-production of The Atlantic and WNYC Studios. He may have that, but hes not Hes down to earth. During one club night, Young bought Stephanie two drinks and his friends handed them to her. [Chuckles.] Throughout Youngs year-long treatment of MY, Young failed to conduct pill counts, consult a state database meant to monitor the dispensing of controlled substances, and discuss with MY the risks of combining these drugs, according to the document. In another, he totters around with an empty bottle of bourbon and pans the camera over to Phillips, who is asleep on the couch. Federal prosecutors say his help often amounted to dealing drugs for sex. Two bouncers made sure she got home, but when she woke up in bed the next morning, her eyes were black, her nose was broken, and her mouth was bleeding. While Youngs antics could be a nightmare for his staff, his pool of patients increased as word about his practice spread. (Dawn did not press charges at the time, and she declined to speak with me for this story.). Do you feel safe with Mr. Young being out there? a prosecutor on the case, Andrew Pennebaker, asked Pickering in court. I mean, I worked at a bank for 15 years, and when youve worked at a bank and youve cashed checks, you have to judge people in two seconds. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. 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. He graduated from Musicians Institute in 1985, and is best known for his time with the thrash metal band Megadeth, appearing on the 1988 album So Far, So Good. He was like a friend. Young was indicted on drug-trafficking charges in April 2019. In an attempt to understand how Young got away with so much for so long, Ive spent more than a year tracking his story, reading court documents, and examining his extensive digital footprint. Khazan: He had an account on Periscope, the live-streaming site. I didnt know that. In September 2014, Young, Reitz, and Patel opened their first clinic and called it PreventaGenix. Olga Khazan: At the time, there wasnt a lot of limits on pharmaceutical companies being able to tell doctors that. (The synthesizer takes over the harmony, traipsing up and down the melody line before it quiets and the episode ends.). The camera follows Young as he treats patients, talks on a local radio station, dances with women at a club, and brags about drinking. Well all be killed., It helped that Young had prominent friends he could call on for help. He messaged at least five female patients about sex and filling prescriptions, prosecutors would later say, detailing the anonymized encounters in court. Though criminal cases against doctors and nurse practitioners like Young are still relatively rare, they are growing more common. Young: Whats up, my friend? Khazan: When Jeffs indictment became public, LeAnnlike many of his former patientswas suspicious at first. Its a shame, he told me, that Young got into so much legal trouble; think of all the people he might have helped. To have a medical provider be polite to you, accept you, maybe even dig through your charts to find the root cause of your ailmentsit can be validating. Young: So, the, uh, the sinister ministerthat would be me (Fades under again.). One other factor might help account for his long, illicit career: the sheer number of patients who stood by him, almost to the very end. Young: Even get all gussied up for tonight. But they helped create the opioid crisis all the same. 1:32. So, uh, here we are, sitting by the pool. Scott Deberry: You go to the doctor, and you tell them whats wrong with you, and they look at you like, Oh, its nothing. Not that theyre not cheating on their wives. Stephanie, who returned to Youngs clinic after the incident at the club, said Young helped her more than any doctor shes ever seen. MY came to PreventaGenix complaining of lower-back pain and numbness in his left arm, and asked for refills of pain medications. Khazan: Part of making her feel better was prescribing her opioids. The clinics aim would be to halt the parade of miseriesheart attacks, early deaths, hospital billsbrought on by the obesity epidemic. Listen to the trailer for. And that was not the case at all. Khazan: So Ive written a million stories about this. This social-media stardom appears to have helped inoculate him against concerns that his loose approach to medicine could harm anyone. Purdue Pharma ad voice-over: Once youve found the right doctor and have told him or her about your pain, dont be afraid to take what they give you. She would wake up to find that all her car doors had been opened overnight. (The background music shifts tone dramatically to a wispy, light, contemplative energy.). Young got married, then quickly got divorced, according to several people who knew him then. Listen to the trailer for Holy Week. 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. Sometimes patients seeking opioids go to different providers until they find one who is willing to prescribe to them. His black shirt collar didnt quite hide the tattoos on the back of his neck. I dont like him asking out my daughter But even then, I still went to him, and my ex-husband still went to him. The week that followed Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination was revolutionaryso why was it nearly forgotten? Then and over the ensuing months, I spoke with dozens of Youngs friends, enemies, alleged victims, and former co-workers. His small fiefdom of followers created a mini echo chamber, feeding back approval and encouragement. Before long, the three men hatched a plan to found a network of health clinics that would check patients cholesterol levels and offer diet and exercise advice. After PreventaGenix shut down, Young told his patients on Facebook that they could contact Reitz and Patels attorney to get their medical records. So it just kind of, I guess, comforted me. You can find Olgas written reporting on the Rock Doc at our website: http://www.theatlantic.com/experiment. LeAnn said that Jeff stayed for hours, changing IV bags and chatting with him. Scott Deberry: When I told him, I said, Every time I go to a doctor and tell them I feel like I have the flu, they look at me as if Im delusional.. 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 . After he opened the new clinic, Youngs sexual behavior with patients allegedly continued, as did the towns willingness to ignore it. To date, none of the alleged victims in Youngs court case has come forward publicly to speak against him. Its often called the invisible illness, because, even though the pain is very real for the person experiencing it, some doctors dont take it seriously. They entered the office and ordered the clinics staffers to lie on the floor. To a different patient, he wrote, Come fuck me at my office right now., It is not illegal for doctors to have sex with their patients, though its considered unethical. And Jeff, sitting at the center of it, covered in tattooshe had a sort of unlikely charisma too. When you got all kinds of money, said Jon Benjamin Sharp, a local musician who used to see Young around town, you got all kinds of friends. (Sharp made clear that he himself wasnt a fan of Youngs.) Why would you go to this doctor? It really meant a lot to me. Young began arriving at the clinic smelling rancid, with greasy hair, and the clinics money problems mounted. Im like, Im as outspoken as he is. The waiting room often overflowed with patients. The Rock Doc affectations, Louvaris said, merely show that hes different from other doctors. Some of Youngs dalliances with his patient-friends similarly took a dark turn. 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. ET on January 28, 2021. To one patient, who he prescribed hydrocodone, amphetamines, and fentanyl, he said, I accept all insurance. Young: Hi, my name is Jeff Young. Country music lyrics, guitar tabs/tablatures, chords source #1. The grosser side. Thrash metal, heavy metal, speed metal, blues, classical. I cant wait to start being your patient again, one woman wrote. 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. Over that time, his online following grew. Young: (Over hard-rock music.) Federal prosecutors who charged him in a massive opioid bust say he overprescribed painkillers, often for "money, notoriety, and sexual favors." Young's case provides a rare gl Yet he still attracted patients at GeneXis prior to his detention hearing in May 2019. Pharmacists began to refuse to fill his prescriptions. They dont want to touch you unless they have to touch you. As Young collected more tattoos and befriended more local bands, he began to attract a certain clientele. Another said, I was thinking of you today and how much you have helped me.. 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. At other times, PreventaGenix staffers would stumble upon a woman he had brought to the clinic the previous night. Tanya Ballard: I think people are Just didnt like Jeff. We cant live if hes out, she said. Khazan: LaRhonda didnt know anything about all of thisthe nursing board didnt make their investigation publicbut she was following him on social media. Khazan: Does that change how you feel about him? I am very nervous about it, she replied. But Young soon revealed a blustering personality that started to overwhelm the team project. I visited Youngs clinic, but, through a staffer, he declined to speak with me. A transcript of this episode is presented below: (Abruptly, rock music begins to play, and then, just as quickly, it ends with a light echo.). Julia Longoria: Over 20 years ago, pharmaceutical companies began to market the use of a magical pill. At this point, the people of Jackson knew the full extent of officials suspicions about Young. Jeff immediately sees that he is inyou know, hes in pretty bad shape. Fact-check by Michelle Ciarrocca and Jack Segelstein. 0:04. On my trip, I strolled by a glass case near the federal courthouse that held a large Bible opened to the Gospel of John. An active and fun show following the life of FNP Jeff Young II at work and his life after work. [Khazan laughs, then Calles emphasizes each word that follows.] The next year, Jeff prescribed M.Y. [Khazan laughs.] Khazan: And sometimes theyd even ask their followers and fans to back them up. The Daily Beast Automated News Feed No Censorship, Just News. 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. Khazan: Jeff was working as a nurse practitioner at a clinic called Preventagenix in Jackson, Tennessee. Kevin: Jeff and I are full of antics. Some of his patients were police officers whom he would occasionally ask for favors. Most of these doctors werent like Jeff. Naylor: They just immediately hit it off. Young is . One former employee told me its not clear whether Young was exchanging prescriptions for sex or just giving his many girlfriends the medications they asked for. For the cosmetically minded, he hosted alcohol-fueled Botox parties. Off camera, Young allegedly prescribed 1.4 million addictive pills and had sex with female patients. The daughter, Melody, actually works in her dad's vet clinic. Hed wandered off into the woods. (Patel did not respond to requests for comment.) However, many of Youngs online supporters have remained loyal. Health care is one of the Jackson areas most important industries, and West Tennessee Healthcare, which once employed Young, is the largest employer in the county. Dang, Jeff What happened? Helena Louvaris and Melanie Lupino, two of Youngs staunch defenders, both declined to speak with me when I called them back to see if they still supported him after he was jailed. They do not have serious medical side effects. And no education whatsoever, Phillips jokes. Naylor: And I remember him saying, Bring him to the office. On April 17, 2019, officials swept through Appalachia, charging 53 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. A Professional theme for architects, construction and interior designers the rock doc' jeff young. Jackson, Tennessee. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and is currently in jail awaiting trial. Though the system came slowly for Young, during the years he was being investigated America underwent a national reckoning about opioids. Longoria: Opioids would be a new kind of painkiller to treat not just acute pain after an event like a surgery, but also pain that was more mundane, like chronic back pain that patients would complain about for years, but which doctors didnt have a clear cure for. Longoria: And what part of the crisis were you most focused on? Khazan: But she did remember this one hint shed had that something might be wrong in Jeffs office. Longoria: And one of those worst of the worst providers stood out from the others. Calles: I really am so thankful that he suggested that to me, because if he hadnt have, I probably wouldve never done it, because I wouldnt take anybody else seriously enough to even think about doing it. Some people from the area said they had been harassed by Jeff and were afraid to speak out. Khazan: LaRhonda was skepticalbut she was also dealing with a lot of pain. Right? And he said, You be sure and tell them that Jeff is the best doctor Ive ever seen. He said, Promise me you will tell them that. I said, I promise I will. I said, I will tell them that., (The music plays up for a long moment, then fades out under the narration.). You can all suck my dick! he yells at the camera in one Periscope video, a stethoscope around his neck and a cigar in his hand. Khazan: Anyone online could watch him, say, biopsy someones skin while listening to hard rock. Lets see here, shes 23, Young says. Longoria: Pharmaceutical companies marketed these drugs aggressively to doctors. Rock Doc TV. (The music changes tone, becoming a little more up-tempo and treble-heavy.). Federal prosecutors who charged him in a massive opioid bust say he overprescribed painkillers, often for money, notoriety, and sexual favors.. Without doing a physical exam, Young diagnosed MY with chronic lower-back pain and anxiety, the letter details. Young became known for putting drugs into the hands of almost anyone who asked. Thank you for listening. 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. 13.6k members in the AutoNewspaper community. Aggressive marketing is one piece of it. Branding himself as the "Rock Doc," he flooded his social media accounts with images of a party-loving lifestyle, vitriol for his "haters" and even a pilot episode for a reality TV show . Calles: I mean, the whole deal of him being in jail this long is completely unfair. Occasionally he would glare at his ex-wife Dawn, who was in the gallery. Looking for Jeff Young online? This requirement is waived, however, in cases where public health, safety, or welfare imperatively requires emergency action.). This distinction is important, because while nurse practitioners are functioning in the same capacity as physiciansordering and interpreting Young appeared to operate more subtly. You may not like my rock and roll. I had a brother that passed away, and when he passed away, his friends played that for him at his funeral. Scott Deberry: And, you know, once you get around the tattoos and the way he talkscause he talks to you as if hes talking to you on the streets As long as he was going to take care of me and make me feel okay, or make me feel better, I had no problem with that. Calles: You could just tell by the demeanor that that was there. Some sought counseling, slept under their beds, or carried guns. (A long moment of music with no narration before it fades out. (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. After the hearing, Young was jailed pending his trial, which is currently scheduled to be held this spring. Naylor: I said, Go see Jeff. And she said, Id rather not. And I said, Why? And she said, Because if I go see him, hell start texting me and calling me. And I said, And wanting to go out with you? And she said, Yeah. Thats the thing. And the consequences might have gone beyond sexual abuse and addiction. They would shut off the power so they had an excuse to close the clinic on those days. The cause of death, according to the letter, was a probable cardiac event due to polypharmacy, or the simultaneous use of multiple drugs.. He didnt pull any punches, she said. Like, all these doctors who are really out of line and just writing so many scripts for so many addictive drugs, theyre really not being careful at all. Young cared for all kinds of people, some of whom didnt have money or health insurance. Toward the end of PreventaGenix, the nurse practitioner so many people had praised deteriorated, according to former employees. Khazan: In one sense, I understand some of Jeffs patients defensiveness toward him. But I was willing to overlook all that, you know? Its joined at points by a line of harmony played on a synthesizer.). His followers across social-media accounts numbered in the low thousandshigher than a casual users, but a trifle compared with even a C-list celebritys fan base. Nurses are consistently rated higher in honesty and ethics than all other professions that Gallup asks about, by a wide margin, the polling firm said in a January 2020 survey. 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