A surgeon and ASC owner in Ames, Iowa, and her physician husband have filed for bankruptcy, the Ames Tribune reported June 20. Lindsay Sturm, DO, the former lead surgeon at the center, also surrendered her medical license after being accused of incompetence.
Dr. Strum and her husband, Sean Sturm, MD, an anesthesiologist, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy June 14, according to the report. The filings list a total of $5.99 million in assets, including $5.34 million in liabilities, $12,000 owed to the Internal Revenue Service, $315,000 in student loans and other debts tied to ongoing lawsuits.
Sturm Cosmetic Surgery abruptly closed in February amid complaints from former patients and two malpractice lawsuits alleging medical negligence. A former nurse who was employed at the center filed one of the lawsuits and was retaliated against, according to the report. Another lawsuit was filed by a small business lender, Balboa Capital Corp., against Dr. Sturm and her business in California.
The Tribune also reported that in May, Dr. Lindsay Sturm reached an agreement with the Iowa Board of Medicine after being accused of professional incompetence and was asked to voluntarily surrender her medical license while admitting no guilt or wrongdoing. The agreement also stated that she could not apply for a new license for at least two years. The board found that Dr. Sturm allegedly “failed to meet the standard of care in patient selection by failing to recognize body dysmorphia in a patient and failing to select the appropriate operation for another patient.” It also alleged that Dr. Sturm failed to obtain signed consent forms for certain procedures and to follow up with patients adequately post-procedure.
Becker’s has reached out to Dr. Sturm’s legal representation and will update this article if more information becomes available.
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