Dr. Robert Alexander
Last year I began covering the case of Robert Alexander, the Muskegon, Michigan abortionist whose filthy, Gosnell-type clinic was closed by the Muskegon Fire Marshall.
In the fall, Watchdog Wire’s Josh Kaib and Izzy Lyman pinch hit for me in early November as Michigan’s Senate geared up to vote on much need medical reform legislation.
Four bills passed unanimously in the Michigan Senate and are now in Michigan’s House Regulatory Reform Committee.
In the meantime, I was waiting for FOIA information to come through from Michigan’s Department of Regulatory Affairs as two other activists, one being tipster Lynn Mills, told me that Dr. Alexander was working at the now-closed Herman Kiefer Clinic in Detroit on the taxpayer payroll.
At that time Dr. Alexander was seeing STD patients. But after the Kiefer Clinic closed its doors, it didn’t take Mills long to find where Dr. Alexander was working again.
Although I cannot independently verify if state or federal taxpayer money paid Dr. Alexander at the Herman Kiefer Clinic, he now works at a non-profit that partners with the state government at 8904 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, MI.
Since the Kiefer Clinic closed, the Detroit Department of Public Health and Wellness Promotion (DHWP) partnered up with the non-profit Institute for Population Health. Lynn gave me the phone number of the 8904 Woodward Avenue location in Detroit where Dr. Alexander now works.
8904 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. (Screenshot taken from Google Earth)
After I maneuvered through their automated system I spoke with the appointment scheduler. She confirmed that Dr. Alexander is on staff at their STD clinic.
On Monday, January 13, 2014 I was again given a tip by Lynn Mills that she had more information on the status of Dr. Alexander and his medical license.
On November 14, 2013, Michigan’s Assistant Attorney General, Debra M. Gagliardi, filed an Administrative Complaint against Dr. Alexander for incompetence. All of this relates to the 2012 closure of the Woman’s Health Services clinic in Muskegon.
“Incompetence” is defined under MCL 333.16106(1) (Michigan law) as, “a departure from, or failure to conform to, minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing practice for a health profession, whether or not actual injury to an individual occurs.”
The complaint also indicates that unsecured narcotics were on the premises in Muskegon, and that Dr. Alexander was unable to locate the drug log book. He itemized and returned unused drugs salvaged from the premises at a later date.
Recall that in 1986 Dr. Alexander was named in a 51-count indictment in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division (Criminal No. 86-80328). This is new information to me, as Dr. Alexander did not have a Controlled Substance License.
Where did Dr. Alexander get these narcotics? Why did the Muskegon Police Department not verify that he had the proper license?
Also within the complaint are mentions of his employees, one of whom claimed to be a Licensed Practical Nurse, but Dr. Alexander failed to ever verify her credentials. He wrongfully delegated to this “nurse” the authority to administer medications to patients and to assist them both pre-and-post-medical procedure.
He also hired the “nurse’s” husband to perform odd jobs, including taking out the trash.
A peak inside Dr. Alexander’s former clinic (Photo: Gena Rinckey)
Dr. Alexander failed to assure that the hazardous waste was disposed of properly, as hazardous waste had been placed in a back storage room instead of being removed from the premises on a regular basis.
As the named respondent, Dr. Alexander was given 30 days in which to answer the state’s complaint against him.
Dr. Alexander indeed responded to Ms. Gagliardi’s complaint. He sent back two Compliant Conference Requests. The date stamp is a little blurry, but it looks like they were sent to Ms. Gigliardi on either December 10 or 16, 2013.
Then came a handwritten four page letter to her on December 24, 2013. The shocking part is on page 2. “I am asking Attorney Debra Gagliardi and the Disciplinary Subcommitte to respect and honor the powers given to (name redacted), by LARA and the Michigan State Medical Board in this Confidential Matter.”
Does Dr. Alexander really believe that his past is irrelevant, and that what is presently happening is truly a “Confidential Matter?” Does he ever watch the news?
Does he know that four medical bills were passed in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Senate to keep the public safe from doctors like him?
I was also in possession of some information about Dr. Alexander, so I called Ms. Gagliardi late in the day on Monday, January 13, 2014 and left her a voice mail.
On Tuesday, January 14, 2014 I faxed that information to her. She returned my telephone call later, and we discussed Dr. Alexander. She told me what she could legally disclose.
Boarded-up back door at Dr. Alexander’s former clinic (Photo: Gena Rinckey)
Ms. Gagliardi said that while some of what I had sent her was duplicative, some of it was new, and she thanked me for sending it to her. I told her I was very happy to hear that the Michigan Attorney General’s office was taking action against Dr. Alexander.
She told me that she was given his file almost a year ago and went on to say that she does realize that things do not always happen as quickly as we would like.
I asked her if she was going to try and get Dr. Alexander’s medical license terminated, and she said that this could happen, but at this point it would be, “icing on the cake.” Regardless, she is of the opinion that Dr. Alexander should never be allowed to work in a “patient care” environment again.
She ended our conversation by telling me that she does not know when this matter will conclude, but that when it does, the media will probably catch wind of it, and I’ll be back with a hopefully good outcome from the state on the status of Dr. Alexander’s medical license.
Success in citizen journalism depends on many things. You need a story, and if it is ongoing, to keep writing about it until someone notices. The sharing of information among activists is really wonderful.
Writers need to ditch the notion that they may or may not receive credit for the outcome of a story if the desired change happens. I am fortunate in that I have eyes and ears in different places, and people who are willing to help me take a swing if I’m unable to do so at the time.
This is the kind of teamwork I really enjoy being a part of on my own journey in journalism. The credit doesn’t matter. Working together to achieve a positive change is what is most important.