Help still sought for closed pain center's patients

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Medical officials continue working to assist an estimated more than 5,000 patients find help after a suspended doctor closed a chain of pain centers in northeastern Indiana last month.

The Indiana Pain Center locations closed after the Indiana Medical Licensing Board ordered a 90-day suspension of Dr. William Hedrick's medical license on allegations of over-prescribing pain medications.

Dr. Daniel Roth of Summit Pain Management in Fort Wayne says it has received about 1,500 phone calls and 1,000 primary doctor referrals for former Hedrick patients. Roth tells The Journal Gazette his staff has sometimes worked 14-days to keep up.

Sixty-two-year-old Melinda Landis says she was terrified about losing her pain medication when Hedrick's clinics closed. Landis says she saw many people at the clinics who needed those medications.