CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The California Medical Board has accused a Chula Vista labor and delivery doctor who finished 7th on Season 27 The Amazing Race, of committing gross negligence in three instances, one of which resulted in a stillbirth and two others that involved the infants suffering major injuries.
The board alleges that Dr. Rick Chac, who currently practices at an office on Old Telegraph Road in Chula Vista, is guilty of gross negligence in the treatment of three pregnant women over the course of three years, from 2017 through 2019.
Chac and his wife Cindy, going by the team name, "ChacAttack", appeared on the 27th Season of Amazing Race which ran in 2015.
According to Chac's bio on the Amazing Race, when asked what he did for a living Chac replied, "I’m an OB/GYN- I catch babies (usually in the middle of the night) and take out uteruses."
Chac also said that he is most proud of "Being a successful Board Certified Physician and an OB/GYN fellow before age 40- while coming from an immigrant first generation family. I worked for my American dream!"
But now, according to an April 2022 accusation document obtained by CBS 8, the California Medical Board could possibly strip Chac of his license.
According to the April 2022 allegations, the medical board says Chac failed to provide the necessary care in three separate cases.
"Patient B"
The first alleged act of medical negligence occurred in August 2017. A 24-year-old woman referred to as "Patient B" in the medical board complaint was admitted to the hospital for a check-up months after irregularities in her pregnancy had been detected.
According to the medical board, Chac recorded high blood pressure in the mother and a "decreased fetal heart variability as well as concerning fetal heart rate decelerations."
But instead of keeping the woman for evaluation, the medical board says Chac gave the woman medication and ordered her discharge from the hospital.
After a follow-up ultrasound was performed the following day, on August 19 the woman went to the hospital after not feeling her baby move.
An ultrasound found the baby had died.
Found the medical board, "[Chac] committed negligence in the course of his care and treatment of Patient B by discharging [her] from the hospital" and by ordering medication without "adequate medical indication."
Lastly, the board found that Chac failed "to appropriately manage the findings of a fetal abdominal mass and the post-demise evaluation."
"Patient C"
The final accusation of negligence against Chac occurred in September of 2017. That was when Chac performed an exam on a woman referred to as "Patient C" who was 37 weeks pregnant at the time.
After the exam, Chac referred the woman to labor and delivery for a cesarean section at the hospital. According to medical board investigators, the baby suffered numerous lacerations during the c-section that Chac performed.
Read Chac's notes, "Infant laceration (multiple) noted on left buttocks. Multiple in different directions. One consistent with intraoperative laceration noted at the time of Uterotomy [incision of the uterus]. The others likely from vaginal exam in clinic when patient was presented with suspected [spontaneous rupture of membranes] earlier in the day..."
The medical board determined that Chac was negligent in his treatment "by performing one or more medical interventions in a manner resulting in multiple lacerations or abrasions to the patient's fetus or infant."
"Patient A"
The third allegation occurred in January 2019 and involved a woman that the medical board referred to as, "Patient A."
According to the allegations, Chac "changed Patient A's [estimated due date]" to approximately three weeks prior to the initial due date.
Chac's notes, according to the board, stated that his office would retrieve the patient's medical records, including the woman's 11-week ultrasound, which would help determine the due date.
Chac, however, "failed to obtain a copy of the medical records."
On February 18, 2019, one day prior to the new estimated due date, the woman arrived at the hospital and Chac began to induce labor.
According to the medical board, the following day as induction continued, Chac received the 11-week ultrasound which had the actual due date set for March 8, 2019, more than two weeks later.
Chac allegedly continued with the induction and the baby was born the following day.
"Patient A's infant was admitted to the hospital's newborn intensive care unit for respiratory distress and later transferred to another facility for continued care," reads the board's accusation documents.
Added the board, "[Chac] committed gross negligence...by rendering inadequate prenatal care and an improper induction..."
CBS 8 called Chac's office as well as sent multiple emails seeking comment. Chac did not respond.
According to the medical board, a hearing date has not been set.
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