Dr. Daniel Young Patterson, M.D., MPH, R.I.P.

 I was blessed to see and hear Dr. Daniel Young Patterson, MD, MPH in 1998. He spoke eloquently about HMO abuses, and chaired the panel.  His three hour program came at the very end of the powerfully empowering and educational annual meeting of ATLA (now the Association for Justice), in Washington, D.C.  At the end of five days of an intellectual feast of plaintiff legal education, Dr. Patterson led a poignant, ironic and sometimes funny three hour continuing legal education program, exposing HMOs and their works and pomps. I spoke to Dr. Patterson immediately afterwards, and told him about a medical malpractice case against a psychiatrist who falsely called my client "paranoid, delusional and psychotic" for raising concerns about the toxic working environment at the K-25 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Dr. Patterson read the medical evidence and he met with my Sherrie and Doug Farver, my client and her husband. Dr. Patterson found that Sherrie was not "paranoid, delusional or psychotic." Dr. Kenneth Carpenter's false testimony at her security clearance hearing was the final act by the terrible toxic, hostile Department of Energy and Lockheed Martin working environment in Oak Ridge. Dr. Carpenter's junk science psychiatric diagnosis  ended Sherrie's 11.5 year career in radiation protection; she particularly enjoyed teaching employees about radiation protection. Firing her because she lost her security clearance silenced her and deprived employees of their Right to Know about radioactive materials, with which they were daily dosed.  Upon interviewing Sherrie and reading the medical records (which medical records the M.D.-psychiatrist Dr. Kenneth Carpenter never read), Dr. Patterson readily agreed to testify.  Dr. Patterson's reasoned and documented medical opinion exposed malpractice and helped make history in Sherrie Farver's case against a malfeasant frequent testifier for DOE, TVA and government contractors against their own employees.   After a 2.5 day jury trial from March 30-April 5, 1999, a Circuit Court jury of twelve Anderson County citizens ruled for medical malpractice plaintiff Ms. Sherrie Graham Farver. Farver v. Carpenter sent a message heard around the world, a victory vindicating the rights of oppressed, poisoned Oak Ridge, Tennessee nuclear weapons plant workers.  Never before in Dr. Patterson's entire career had he ever a testified against another physician.  Dr. Patterson's candid testimony took about an hour.  The jury believed Dr. Patterson.  On April 5, 1999 (Easter Monday), they unanimously returned what was (then and there) a record verdict for a living victim of medical malpractice. Dr. Dan Patterson was a magnificent man and a great American. We need more ethical people like Dr. Patterson, who speak the truth and testify truthfully without fear or favor of powerful oligarchs. As the British poet John Dunne said of death, "do not ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee." More here: https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2024/04/april-5-1999-farver-v-carpenter-jury.html

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Here's Dr. Patterson's obituary from the Wilmington (N.C. ) Star-News:

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Daniel Young Patterson was born in Louisville, Kentucky on February 9, 1940 and died on October 28, 2024 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Devoted husband for 62 years to Sue Alice McCauley Patterson. Loyal son of the late Elizabeth Gerber Patterson and William Robinson Patterson. Loving father to Dylan Joseph Patterson; sweet brother to Lynn Elizabeth Patterson (Arthur Peter) and William Robinson Patterson, Junior; loving grandfather to Oskar Galileo Gambony-Steding; supportive godfather to Christian Patterson; loving uncle to Cary Peter (Lavanya Peter), Katie Windham (Tom Windham), Kathy Wozniak (Adam Wozniak), Lee Maguire (Rich McGuire), the late James Thomas Kane (Vanessa Kane) and the late William Robinson Patterson III, and their wonderful children and grandchildren.

Dan was educated in Kentucky, graduating from Lexington Catholic High School. He received both undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Kentucky receiving the Dean’s award of his graduating class at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

He received his post medical school training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, with an internship in pediatrics and residency training at the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic. He also obtained a Masters of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Hygiene. He won the George Ginsberg Fellowship Award which recognizes psychiatric residents. Five are awarded annually across the country for excellence in teaching and in clinical administration.

While serving his military obligation through the Public Health Service, Dan was made director of the new Health Maintenance Organization Service in the Nixon administration. At the request of the American Psychiatric Association, he twice presented testimony regarding managed mental healthcare before Sen. Edward Kennedy to the committee on labor and human resources, United States Senate. He also presented US Congressional Testimony before Senate and House of Representatives’ committees on managed care and mental health matters.

Returning to clinical practice, Dan was Chief of Psychiatric Service for two large health maintenance organizations in the Washington, DC area. He was board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Managed Care Medicine.

In 2003, he was designated a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. While in clinical practice, he had faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins, George Washington, Georgetown, and the University of North Carolina medical schools.

From 1986 to 1991, he served as the Founding Medical Director of American PsychManagement Corporation/Value Behavioral, developing more cost-effective mental health delivery systems across the country for IBM and other Fortune 500 companies.

Dan was a consultant to the national committee for quality assurance (NCQA), Fortune 500 companies, and numerous HMOs and managed behavioral organizations. He also served as an expert witness in over fifty court cases involving managed health and behavioral care and published articles and book chapters on health and mental healthcare. Dan’s career passion was developing better mental healthcare at a lower cost for the average American family.

After leaving the Washington, DC area, Dan and his wife moved to Wilmington, North Carolina where he developed a clinical practice and for two years served as the Medical Director of The Wilmington Health Association.

Since retirement in 2005, Dan served on the Board of Directors of Plantation Village and participated in grant review for the Landfall Foundation. He and his wife joined The Country Club of Landfall and The Surf Club and greatly enjoyed the amenities and friendships made there.

Dan tried to live by the golden rule and dearly loved his wife, son, grandson, extended family, and many friends. A private memorial has already taken place.

Donations in Dan’s memory may be made to Kenan Chapel (kenanchapel.com) or Theatre for All (theatreforall.org).

Posted online on November 12, 2024

Published in Wilmington Star-News