WACO, Texas — The attorney for a North Texas family is speaking out after learning about the death of radio host Jenifer Cleveland shortly after her IV therapy treatment at Luxe Med Spa in Wortham.
Attorney Mike Sawicki is representing the Ray family after mother and wife, Kimberly Ray, died following a pain procedure at Integrity Wellness Center in North Texas during April 2021. Both her husband and daughter were waiting for her in the parking lot, Sawicki said.
Dr. Michael Patrick Gallagher was the chief of anesthesiology for the center at the time. Though he is not a defendant in that case, Sawicki said there are troubling similarities between Ray and Cleveland's cases.
"I was kind of shocked and sick to my stomach when I saw that Gallagher was involved [in Cleveland's case] because of what I had learned about him in the deposition in [Ray's] case," Sawicki told 6 News.
In January, Gallagher swore to tell the truth about his former employers at Integrity Wellness Center.
"Yes it will be the truth," Gallagher said in a video-taped deposition obtained by 6 News.
Sawicki said Gallagher claims he wasn't at the clinic the day Ray died. In the deposition, Gallagher also revealed his own past with substance abuse and an anxiety disorder, as well as described an environment at work of little to no supervision.
"No anesthesiologist is supervised by another anesthesiologist," Gallagher said in the deposition.
"Do you feel like you have a boss or manager?" Sawicki asked him during the deposition.
"No," replied Gallagher.
"The concern we had in [Ray's] case is who is really supervising any of the care?" Sawicki said.
RELATED: Autopsy: Radio employee dies 'sudden cardiac death' following IV treatment at Wortham med spa
A few months after Ray's death, Gallagher was terminated from the center. The reason given was on-going substance abuse, Sawicki said.
"I know you drink every single night," Gallagher said in the video, as he described what a co-worker said to him in a meeting. "And if you don't report yourself, then I will report you to the board."
Gallagher denied he had a drinking problem at the time, but did admit he went to rehab and is under the treatment of a doctor for generalized anxiety disorder.
Gallagher's license is now temporarily suspended in connection to Cleveland's death, but Sawicki said it's a symptom of a statewide problem.
"In the past, you would go to major hospitals where you could rely on credentialing and selection of employees. Now, you really are on a roulette wheel, not knowing what you're going to get when you walk in," said Sawicki.
"What is the human toll?" asked 6 News Anchor Lindsay Liepman.
"To me, the image that I have a hard time even thinking about is [Ray's] 8-year-old daughter sitting in the parking lot and watching the ambulances and never seeing her mother again. That's what keeps me up at night," said Sawicki.
6 News reached out to Gallagher for comment on this investigation. He replied via email:
"Thank you for your message. I would like to visit with you regarding both the Jennifer Cleveland and Kimberly Ray cases. However, as both of these cases are ongoing, and at the advice of counsel, I cannot comment on either case at this time."