TOLEDO, OH (WTOL/AP) - Dozens of patients from the now-closed Toledo Clinic Cognitive Center say its director lied and tricked them into thinking they had Alzheimer's disease when they really didn't. One of the patients committed suicide after the false diagnosis.
More than 50 former patients of Sherry-Ann Jenkins are joining the lawsuit against her and the center.
According to the complaint, Jenkins ordered medical imaging tests under her husband's, Oliver Jenkins, MD., even though he never treated the plaintiffs on this matter. Some patients they spent nearly a year undergoing treatment while believing they had the mind-robbing illness.
Other allegations in the lawsuit say Jenkins was not qualified to read the scans, nor provided diagnoses because she is not licensed to practice medicine or psychology in Ohio or anywhere else.
"Many of the people that even had medical backgrounds were convinced by her, were convinced by her. She had the support of the Toledo Clinic," said attorney David Zoll, who is representing the plaintiffs.
The complaint says a group of Toledo Clinic Radiologists told the Toledo Clinic Board of Directors that Sherry-Ann Jenkins was "diagnosing everyone with Alzheimer's disease." It goes on to say the Toledo Clinic of Neurologists also complained to the Board of Directors.
The suit alleges the clinic was aware of this as early as October 2015 but never took action. The suit also says neither the clinic nor Jenkins have informed patients of misdiagnoses or her lack of credentials in the field.
According to complaint, the misdiagnoses has caused turmoil in patients' lives and their families.
Kay Taynor is one of the plaintiffs. She said her husband of 48 years, Gary, took his own life after the diagnoses.
Other patients say they thought about taking their own lives before the center in Toledo shut down last year.
"They sent letters out to people, telling them that her office has been closed, but they didn't say why. They never disclosed that she wasn't licensed, that she shouldn't have been doing this, that she wasn't properly educated or trained in the field," Zoll said.
Jenkins' attorney declined to comment on the case, which has not yet resulted in criminal charges.
