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Attorneys present arguments in Rosner case

Fletcher News

ROSNER CASE: Surgeon bolsters plaintiff's case on necessity of surgeries

The last surgeon to treat Pamela Jane Justus before her death testified Thursday that in his opinion the operations Dr. Michael Rosner performed on her were not warranted by the condition of her spine and were a contributing factor to her death 12 years later.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Shepherd receives Sauer Charitable Leadership Award

Thomas R. Shepherd was honored with 2014 Richard C. and Vina L. Sauer Charitable Leadership Award at the annual celebration for the Community Foundation Thursday at Kenmure Country Club.   Read Story »

Mills River News

Sierra Nevada offers sneak peek at brewery

By BILL MOSSLightning EditorMILLS RIVER — The Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. opened its Mills River brewery to sneak preview hardhat tours on Saturday. The tours will continue for a few weeks leading up to the start of regular public tours in late September.Tour guides lead groups of 10 through the plant and explain the beer-making, bottling and warehouse processes.Among the facts:• The company owns 216 acres between the French Broad River and Asheville Regional Airport and has about 26 acres under roof.• Solar panels in the parking lot (200) and 2,000 panels on the warehouse roof generate about 40 percent of the power the plant consumes. Sierra Nevada generates the rest by capturing methane from wastewater.• Cisterns collect water from the roof of the plant so it does not run off and cause erosion. The 6,500-gallon cisterns are clad in decorative wood that the company saved when it cleared forest for construction. The wood includes white pine, white oak, tulip poplar and scarlet oak.• The Sierra Nevada lab tests the product intensely. Beer goes through 110 tests before it's shipped.• The bottling line can bottle three 12-packs per second. The Mills River brewery was built for a capacity of 350,000 barrels a year (about a third of what the overtaxed Chico brewery was producing) but it was built with room to expand.The hardhat tours end with a serving of a 12-ounce Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Public tours starting at the end of September will feature a more elaborate tasting guide and a sample of eight different beers.Book hardhat tours by going to sierranevada.com and clicking on brewery tour. Tours are offered every day.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Lightning (4)

Don't miss this week's issue of Hendersonville Lightning.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Lapsley sells firm to Buie, Jones

William G. "Bill" Lapsley, who has been involved in civil engineering, public works and industrial projects in Henderson County for more than 40 years, has sold his engineering firm to employees Will Buie and Tom Jones.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

County finishing up Seven Falls plans

Henderson County officials are guardedly optimistic that a developer could come forward to rescue the Seven Falls development. Legal questions over ownership could complicate the scenario and nearly $6 million worth of work remains before any takeover could happen.   Read Story »

Laurel Park News

Timber Creek Road closed to through traffic

Timber Creek Road will be closed to through traffic on Tuesday, Aug. 12, and Wednesday, Aug. 13.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

TIMELINE: Justus v. Rosner

Timeline: Justus v. Rosner June 7, 2000: Pamela Jane Justus sees Dr. Rosner for severe pain in the back of her neck and right temple.June 27, 2000: Dr. Rosner conducts surgery for compression of her spinal cord.Feb. 6, 2001: After Mrs. Justus complains of severe headaches, impaired balance and difficulty holding her head up, Rosner performs another surgery.March 21, 2001: In a follow-up visit, Pam Justus complains of sensitivity to light and sound, occasional inability to think of words and a paralyzed left vocal cord.September 2001: Duke University neurologists tell Pam Justus that "the surgeries performed on her by Dr. Rosner were not supported by the diagnostic studies he conducted prior to those surgeries," her lawsuit says.January 2003: North Carolina Medical Board suspends Dr. Rosner's license for six months, saying he had performed unnecessary surgery on eight patients, including Pam Justus.June 11, 2003: The Justuses file lawsuit against Dr. Michael J. Rosner, Park Ridge Hospital and Adventist Health System for what they described as unnecessary surgeries that caused pain, loss of income, medical expenses, "loss of use of part of the body, and permanent injury." The lawsuit says the couple learned in January 2003 that her procedure was among Rosner surgeries the state Medical Board reviewed. "The Board's finding was that the surgeries performed on Mrs. Justus by Dr. Rosner, in June 2000 and in February 2001, were not medically indicated," the lawsuit says.January 2004: North Carolina Medical Board reinstates Dr. Rosner's license under conditions that require a second opinion.February 2009: North Carolina Medical Board again suspends Rosner's license.April 2009: In a filing before the Medical Board, Rosner's lawyers suggests the board's disciplinary actions are inviting malpractice lawsuits against the surgeon. "There is some reason to believe that these cases depend on the Board's action for their legitimacy," adding "it is clear that plaintiffs' lawyers played an important role in bringing the patients to the Board's attention." In June 2003, four months after the board suspended Rosner's license the first time, one law firm filed eight lawsuits (including the Justus lawsuit).November 2010: Medical Board reinstates Rosner's license, this time with five conditions governing surgeries.Sept. 20, 2012: Pam Justus dies at age 58, leaving her husband, a daughter and a son.July 28, 2014: Attorneys for Rosner and Park Ridge argue motions over disqualifying Judge Zoro Guice and what to call plaintiff's attorney Mike Easley, a former two-term attorney general and two-term governor ("Mr. Easley," Judge Forrest Bridges decrees).July 29-Aug. 1: From a pool of 291 Henderson County residents, attorneys and Judge Guice agree on a jury of six men and six women. Trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 11. It is expected to last four to six weeks.SOURCES: North Carolina Medical Board records, Justus v. Rosner lawsuit filings.   Read Story »

Fletcher News

High drama, high stakes in store in malpractice case

  Pamela Jane Justus had been suffering from pain and fatigue for many years when she first visited Dr. Michael Rosner, a neurosurgeon practicing at Park Ridge Hospital in Fletcher, on June 7, 2000.   Read Story »

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