Joined on the Internet

COMMENT

Zenzen and Leinung: Two
names linked in cyberspace

By David Baker
First posted Sunday, November 8, 2009

In a posting on this page last year, it was predicted that Dr. Matthew Leinung’s astounding claims about Lisa Zenzen’s preventable death in Samaritan Hospital would follow him on the Internet for the rest of his career.

It is already happening: Do a search for “Matthew Leinung” and in the first couple of pages there will be a link to the earlier posting on this page that describes Leinung’s outrageous claim that it is not a deviation from the standard of care for a nurse to ignore a hospital’s printed instructions for treating hypoglycemia – instructions which a doctor had specifically ordered in writing that same day was to be used if Lisa became hypoglycemic.

Then do a search for “Lisa Zenzen.” Again, in the first few pages you will find a link to the same posting about Leinung’s affidavit.

And that is with just one item on Lisa’s page. Soon, the two names will be at or near the top of every search for “Matthew Leinung.”

Like it or not, Dr. Leinung is now inexorably linked in cyberspace to the person whose death he – likely for several thousand dollars – was willing to explain away.

It is significant that in his affidavit there is no mention of his job here at Albany Medical Center as head – since 1996 – of the hospital’s endocrinology division – even though citing that position would presumably have enhanced his credentials in the eyes of a judge. It appears he thought he could remain almost anonymous.

In fact, it took all of five minutes on the Internet to track him down. Further searches soon produced his home address and even the name – from a mortgage document – of a doctor who appears to be his live-in partner

That’s the effect of the Internet: Your past – as well as your present – is always just a mouse-click away. For Matthew Leinung, that's not good. But then maybe he didn't spend all that insurance company money in one place.

Leinung's affidavit: How it was reported here

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