Brickbat: A Call for Help

Federal prosecutors have charged Robert Morris Levy—a pathologist at the Veterans Affairs clinic in Fayetteville, Ark.—with three counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deaths of veterans whose diagnoses he got wrong. The VA says he improperly diagnosed at least 15 patients who later died and at least 15 others whose health was seriously harmed. In total, they say they have been able to document 3,000 errors or misdiagnoses made by Levy over 12 years at the clinic. Court records and other documents show Levy repeatedly showed up for work under the influence of alcohol. On one occasion, a test showed his blood alcohol level at 0.4. He was repeatedly suspended but allowed to come back each time. He was fired only after being arrested for DUI.