Dr. Yolanda Lagunas (Lagunas” website).
A Texas physician with almost 40 years of practice had her medical license suspended after the state’s medical board identified “significant issues” in her treatment that resulted in the deaths of two newborns during childbirth.
Earlier this month, Dr. Yolanda Lagunas’ license was temporarily revoked by the Texas Medical Board, responsible for regulating healthcare practitioners. As per the complaint, Lagunas drew attention from the board last year when she persisted with vaginal delivery for 12 hours despite recognizing “fetal distress” that necessitated an urgent cesarean section. Tragically, the infant succumbed to being strangled by the umbilical cord.
The board mandated that the El Paso physician undergo additional training and an evaluation to assess her competencies. However, another infant under her care passed away under “nearly identical circumstances” to the initial case, the board reported.
In the second case, Lagunas admitted the expectant mother, who was 40 weeks pregnant, for induction of labor at around 6 p.m. After seeing the patient the following morning, Lagunas did not check on her for another 35 hours, the board alleged. The patient’s medical charts showed there were “major issues” that Lagunas failed to address.
“Respondent did not properly monitor the patient and failed to recognize the deterioration in the fetus in the fetal heart monitor indicat[ing] the fetus was in extreme distress — which warranted immediate delivery.”
But Lagunas allegedly did not immediately deliver the baby.
“This delay resulted in the unnecessary death of the fetus,” the board wrote.
As a result, the board “temporarily” suspended Lagunas’ license and will consider reinstating her at a later, undetermined date.
Her continuing to practice medicine would “constitute a continuing threat to the public,” the board noted.
Lagunas earned her medical license in 1986. According to the biography on her website, she grew up in El Paso and served in U.S. Army in a “medical capacity” while she attended Texas A&M University.
“Dr. Lagunas continues her passion for serving women’s healthcare and delivering babies with a down to earth, however no nonsense, experience,” the bio said.
An outgoing message on the voicemail at her office said it will be “closed until further notice.” She did not immediately return a call from Law&Crime seeking comment.
