Myrtle Beach doctor’s office closed suddenly. Here’s what we know, how to get your records
Patients of Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center of South Carolina, which closed abruptly in February, will be able to retrieve their medical records from another doctor, the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation said Monday.
The dermatology center, located at 5046 Highway 17 Bypass South, Suite 103, in Myrtle Beach, closed Feb. 17 without notice to its patients, according to a department statement.
The closing came before the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners which ruled Monday that Dr. Brandon Coakley’s office could become the “lawful custodian” of the records. Coakley’s office is at 5046 Highway 17 Bypass South, Suite 200.
The dermatology center was set to reopen on Feb. 20 under new ownership, but the transfer of ownership did not take place, according to the medical board order.
The center was previously owned by Joseph Masessa, who died in a plane crash in November 2019. Masessa’s practice continued to be operated by a family member, who was not a licensed physician in South Carolina, according to the order.
The family member employed licensed practitioners who treated patients at the center, although some practitioners were only at the practice site once a month.
After the center closed, no one contacted the patients in accordance with the board’s policy regarding “Closing of a Medical Practice,” according to the order. In addition, the family member, who lives in New Jersey, did not contact the medical board about the closing.
Numerous patients contacted the local media in the area about their inability to obtain their records so that they could continue to receive treatment. Patients have gone more than 40 days with no ability to obtain their records, according to the order.
Many of those patients have cancer, according to the order, and have been unable to obtain their records to seek further treatment of their conditions, which may have resulted in treatment delays or necessity for repeat biopsies.
The order states that because the family member who took over the practice is not a physician “it is doubtful that he legally owns the medical records.” The board ruled that because Masessa is deceased, and because the board finds there is no responsible party who currently has custody of these records, the board has the authority to appoint a custodian of these records.
