Clinic Falsely Told Dozens They Had Alzheimer's, Suit Says

More than 50 people are suing a now-closed clinic's former director and its owner, saying they were told they had Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. Most now know it's not true, while a few are awaiting confirmation. Some say they spent months undergoing treatment while planning out their final years. The AP reports some quit their jobs, sold possessions, or took one last special trip. One killed himself. The director at the memory-loss center who diagnosed them didn't have a medical or psychology license. So far, the case has yet to result in any charges against Sherry-Ann Jenkins, who opened the Toledo Clinic Cognitive Center in early 2015 through the Toledo Clinic, a multi-specialty medical center with more than 150 doctors.

The lawsuits say that Jenkins, who has a doctorate degree in physiological science, wasn't authorized to order medical tests and that her husband, a licensed doctor who is a partner in the Toledo Clinic, signed off on the tests and was sometimes listed as the referring physician on billing even though he did not see any of the patients. In court filings responding to the lawsuits, each of which seeks more than $1 million in damages, their attorney did not dispute that Jenkins was unlicensed but denied most of the other allegations. The former patients have sued the Toledo Clinic, as well, saying it should have known Jenkins lacked the training and credentials to treat and diagnose patients. (More lawsuit stories.)