“Ace Reporter,” Kurtis Ming

The ace “consumer affairs” reporter of CBS Sacramento has scored another coup. After three years of bimonthly updates of the “maimed,” “butchered,” and “murdered” patients of Doctor Brian West, Kurtis Ming can now add “conviction” to his adjective list. Administrative Law Judge Ann Sarli recently found Doctor West guilty of delivering a patient matching “C” cup reconstructed breasts rather than the patient’s hoped for “D” cups. Kurtis was relentless in his search for damaged patients funding the dissemination of over 2,000 “wanted posters” of the doctor, setting up an incriminating web site to alert and alarm the world, and tirelessly pursuing the doctor throughout California in search of the Truth. His breathless broadcasts of Doctor West’s career progress and rumors were scintillating television and contributed mightily to Channel 13 Sacramento’s consistent third place finish in the ratings race. And the Truth is in. Matching “C” cup breasts are “gross negligence.” That’s it. No dead bodies. No disfigured patients. No walking wounded. Doctor Brian West is the most investigated physician in the history of the Medical Board of California. Nine years of inquisitions, seven formal accusations filed over five years, nine years after patient JM was operated upon, a gap of six years from surgery to actual complaint by patient JM, over 200 real and contrived complaints submitted, hundreds of exposes from ABC to Fox with every news station and radio show in between, and we have a conclusion. Doctor West was “unclear” in his presentation of mastopexy versus mammaplasty in the case of JM. Wow. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent, countless hours of time and energy were consumed by California government employees, patients were terrorized, Doctor West was demonized and his family threatened, but Kurtis Ming got his Emmy. Thank you for your service, ace reporter Ming. Mike Wallace is unconcerned.