UCLA doctor involved in wrongful death lawsuit after overprescribing medication

A UCLA doctor was named in a lawsuit for the wrongful death of his patient after allegedly prescribing her a drug at more than twice its maximum recommended dosage.

Patrick Yaffee, a doctor at UCLA Health, allegedly overprescribed Maria Isabella Steele a drug to lower cholesterol and did not inform her of its side effects, according to a lawsuit filed by Steele’s husband May 3.

Yaffee prescribed Steele with a two-month supply of Atorvastatin after finding she had high cholesterol levels during her annual physical health examination Jan. 4, according to the lawsuit.

She died of drug-induced liver failure a little less than a month later, on Feb. 2.

Ashley Steele, Isabella Steele’s husband, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Yaffee and the University of California Board of Regents.

Pete Kaufman, Ashley Steele’s attorney, said Yaffee prescribed Isabella Steele the drug at a dosage of 80 milligrams, four times the minimum recommended starting dose.

Yaffee allegedly did not tell Steele that her prescription was double the recommended maximum dose, nor did he warn her to stop taking the drug if she experienced side effects, according to the lawsuit.

Yaffee did not respond to requests for comment.

Steele messaged Yaffee using the myUCLAhealth portal later that month, complaining of muscle cramps, dark urine and other symptoms similar to that of the flu. Yaffee allegedly told her to continue taking the Atorvastatin, according to the lawsuit.

Steele had expressed concerns about her symptoms and requested a liver test, according to the lawsuit. Kaufman said he thinks the test was merited by Steele’s symptoms, her low weight and the high dosage.

“The (request for a) test was rejected, astonishingly,” Kaufman said.

She requested a second liver test three days later after continuing to experience symptoms, which was performed the same day.

Yaffee called her later that day and left a voicemail, suggesting she should stop taking the medication and let it wash out of her system, according to the lawsuit.

Later that day, she arrived at the emergency room too weak to walk, carried in her husband’s arms. She was airlifted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center two days later and was promptly placed on the liver transplant list, according to the lawsuit.

Steele died two days later from drug-induced hepatitis, a type of liver inflammation.

Prior to her physical, Steele was a 33-year-old, 97-pound patient who did not smoke or drink, had normal blood pressure and exercised six times a week, Kaufman said.

“As a licensed physician he had an obligation to meet the standard,” Kaufman said. “And the standard of care is not (to administer) 80 milligrams to a patient with a single risk factor and then ignore her complaints.”

Phil Hampton, a UCLA Health spokesperson, said in an email statement the complaint is under review and UCLA Health has nothing to add at this time.

The UC Regents declined to comment.

Ashley Steele said in a press release he filed the lawsuit to hold those responsible for his wife’s death accountable.

“I spent what should have been our 10-year anniversary beside my wife’s grave,” Steele said in the statement. “My mission is to … bring truth to light in the hope that no one else will needlessly endure what my wife suffered.”

Kaufman said he believes filing the lawsuit is the best way to address Steele’s losses through the civil system, but expressed hesitations about how much closure the UC Regents’ payment for damages could provide him.

“Having them pay fair, reasonable and adequate compensation is a good thing and it’s really the only thing (we can do),” Kaufman said. “The unfortunate effect of these wrongs – the loss of this woman to her family and Mr. Steele – how is that undone?”

Places for the People event aims to enliven underused area of Westwood

Students walking in Westwood will be able to stop for a break and refreshments on the corner of Le Conte Avenue and Westwood Boulevard on June 5.

Places for the People, an event hosted jointly by the North Westwood Neighborhood Council and the Graduate Student Association, will provide shaded seating, food and games such as giant Jenga and checkers in the area from noon to 5 p.m.

The North Westwood Neighborhood Council gave the GSA a neighborhood purpose grant of $1,500 to hold the event to reinvigorate empty green spaces in Westwood. It was organized in partnership with Associated Students UCLA, Bruins for Urban Design and Development, which aims to help graduate students develop professional skills, and BEWell, a part of the Healthy Campus Initiative.

The event will offer a space for people to congregate and relax, said Mara Braciszewski, GSA community relations director and a graduate student in urban design and urban and regional planning who helped organize the event.

“The purpose of Places for the People is to activate the underutilized plaza on Le Conte and Westwood by providing … a place for the people,” Braciszewski said. “The whole concept of the event is that people deserve a place of respite and refreshment, especially considering that there aren’t many public places today that provide that.”

She added she hopes the event will strengthen the relationship between Westwood Village and UCLA, since the corner of Le Conte Avenue and Westwood Boulevard is shared between them.

Braciszewski said the GSA chose this location because it felt the space was underutilized even though many people pass through it.

“Some people consider it to be the ‘gateway of UCLA,’ but right now it doesn’t really act that way since it’s not that welcoming of an environment,” she said.

Braciszewski said she thinks the current space lacks comfort and community.

“There are numerous food trucks there that see the demand of people, but the whole environment is nonexistent because there is minimal shade and no seating,” Braciszewski said.

Braciszewski added she hopes the event will act as a pilot for a more permanent installation if it is successful.

Braciszewski said the event’s biggest sponsor was the NWWNC. Other donors included the GSA and Westwood community members. She said most of the funding will go toward tables and chairs, and the remainder will go toward music and other expenses.

Braciszewski added the high costs of restaurants as well as a lack of recreational venues in Westwood Village make it difficult for students to be active in Westwood.

“There’s a huge injustice to the students because this is not a college town,” Braciszewski said. “I’m trying to actively change that and bring it back to the hands of the students.”

Niel Patel, a fourth-year psychobiology student, said he thinks it is a good idea to put the space to use.

“Since UCLA has such a large student body, I think it’s good to increase awareness of spaces which aren’t being used to their full potential to give students and organizations more options for future events, and this event seems like a good way to start that,” Patel said.

Michael Skiles, president of the NWWNC and GSA, said he thinks the event will create a sense of community between Westwood Village and UCLA students.

“We want to enliven the space and get people who are just walking from one place to another to instead have a sense that they are part of the Westwood community, and have this town square in the middle where the people of Westwood can come together and relax and enjoy food and talk,” Skiles said.

Revised security camera policies attempt to address student concerns

UCLA administrators revised security camera policies to include more specific guidelines for camera operators and background checks.

The revised security camera policy seeks to promote security by creating a centralized database of recorded images and establishing guidelines for the removal of cameras that are not compliant with the new policy, said Michael Beck, administrative vice chancellor, in an email announcement May 20.

Students raised concerns about surveillance, cost and privacy to administrators at a town hall in October after a previous draft of the policy was released to students for input in the same month. Students were also concerned because they thought administrators had not taken student input into account.

The latest policy revision says camera operators must report illegal activities caught on camera that are urgent health or campus safety threats to UCPD or Campus Human Resources immediately.

The revised draft also specifies that background check requirements for security camera operators will be defined by a designated group appointed by the administrative vice chancellor.

Beck said in the email announcement that students will be able to share their opinions about the policy change with the administration by submitting comments on the UCLA Administrative Policies and Procedures website. Students can also attend a public forum hosted by administrators that will be held sometime during the review period, which ends June 20, he said.

Beck said in an email statement that he reached out to Undergraduate Students Association Council and Graduate Students Association officials, as well as student leaders in the Community Programs Office, for input regarding the most recent revisions.

Lily Shaw, USAC Facilities commissioner, said she thinks administrators adequately publicized the revised policy, but added she thinks more can be done to increase student awareness.

“An alert on MyUCLA would be good, (or) talking about (it) in classes, because it affects everyone, so I think it’s something that should be mass-publicized, considering that they do want student voices to be heard,” Shaw said.

Shaw also said she wanted to know if the costs associated with security camera installation and footage monitoring would come from student fees or from university funding.

“It’s really important to be transparent with students on that, especially with the recent tuition hike for out-of-state students,” Shaw said.

The policy revision does not specifically mention any costs involved with the changes.

Salvador Martinez, a third-year applied mathematics student, said he thinks UCLA’s new policy takes students’ concerns about the previous draft into account, but said he wants the revised policy to establish designated locations for camera installation to ensure student privacy.

“We want definitions of what’s a public area and what’s a secure, private area,” he said. “We wouldn’t want cameras placed in front of the (Counseling and Psychological Services center), since we want students to have as much privacy as possible in these locations.”

Students also said they have concerns about the timing of the public forum and review period.

“Right now is not the best time for a public forum; it’s week eight. Students are graduating, finishing assignments and planning their summers,” Martinez said. “Hosting it at the beginning of each quarter gives students more opportunity to provide feedback.”

Shaw said she thinks the timing of the forum is not ideal because students have upcoming finals, but added she wants to coordinate with her office to submit comments to administrators.

The revised policy will be reviewed by the UCLA Police Chief’s Advisory Council on June 5, Beck said.

Despite not winning championship, men’s golf boasts many accomplishments

UCLA men’s golf ended its season without an opportunity to compete for a national championship, but had a year ripe with individual career milestones.

The Bruins were ranked 21st in the nation heading into the season. However, UCLA failed to crack the top three in any of its fall tournaments, placing seventh in its first three events. The team fell out of the top 25 and did not regain a national ranking for the rest of the season.

But the spring marked a turning point for the Bruins.

Freshman Sean Maruyama, who made the lineup for several fall tournaments, finished tied for fourth at the Southwestern Invitational on Feb. 26. Maruyama was the first Bruin to earn an individual top-five finish this season.

Sophomore Devon Bling achieved several individual accolades this year, starting with his first collegiate hole-in-one at the Arizona Intercollegiate, the first tournament of the spring.

Bling competed in the Masters Tournament in April and was one of four amateur golfers to make the cut. The sophomore shot his second ace of 2019 at the seventh hole of the Masters Par 3 Contest.

UCLA played its best golf of the season during April. The team recorded four top-three finishes, including back-to-back team wins, after never finishing higher than fourth in the fall.

The Bruins earned their first victory since February 2018 at the SeattleU Redhawk Invitational in April. Junior Hidetoshi Yoshihara won the second tournament of his collegiate career, and Bling finished two strokes behind to tie for second.

UCLA won the Wyoming Cowboy Classic the following week. Senior Cole Madey tied for first and was the low scorer in a playoff series of three par-four holes, earning his first career outright individual title.

Three Bruins placed in the top 10 at the Pac-12 championship in Eugene, Oregon. Madey finished third – the best conference championship performance by a Bruin since Jonathan Garrick tied for third in 2015. Bling finished in sixth, and sophomore Eddy Lai tied for seventh. UCLA placed second for its best Pac-12 finish since 2013.

The Bruins earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament for the second straight year and competed in the Pullman Regional for a spot at the NCAA championship in Fayetteville, Arkansas. UCLA entered the final round in sixth place but was unable to break into the top five to clinch its second straight national championship berth.

The team will graduate seniors Madey, Patrick Murphy, Jack Ireland and Phil Delisi. Madey and Murphy earned Pac-12 Conference All-Academic Honorable Mention honors this season. Ireland spent the past two seasons at UCLA after transferring from Cal State Fullerton. Delisi won the TMU Spring Invitational as an individual in 2018.

The Bruins will resume the pursuit of their first national title since 2008 and third championship overall next season.

Bruins compete in NBA combine in preparation for 2019 draft

Three Bruins showcased their abilities in this year’s NBA combine.

UCLA men’s basketball had three players participate in the 2019 NBA Draft Combine held May 15 to May 19 in Chicago. Sophomore guards Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes, along with freshman center Moses Brown, chose to forgo their remaining years of NCAA eligibility by declaring for the 2019 NBA Dj,raft.

Should they chose to reverse their decision, they must do so by May 29.

Both Hands and Wilkes were invited to last year’s draft combine but withdrew before the draft. Last year, Hands shot 4-of-7 from the field in his scrimmage game and turned the ball over four times.

Hands participated in two scrimmage games this year. In his first game, Hands posted a field goal percentage of just 0.10, with his only points coming from a single 3-pointer. Hands saw better results in his second scrimmage, where he went 4-of-9 from the field and posted a team-high six rebounds and six assists.

Among guards, Hands achieved a top-five ranking in five categories. In the standing vertical leap, Hands jumped 33.0 inches – good for the fourth-best score among draft hopefuls. The guard completed the three-quarter sprint in 3.12 seconds, placing fifth.

Hands also placed fifth in NBA 3-point shooting from the right with an 80% conversion rate. Those ranked above him tallied a 100% conversion rate in the shooting drill.

Wilkes also competed in the combine for the second straight year. In 2018, he shot 6-of-11 from the field in scrimmage and 10-of-15 in NBA 3-point shooting drills. Wilkes withdrew from the draft to play for the Bruins in the 2018-2019 season alongside Hands.

In Wilkes’ first scrimmage, the sophomore went 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 from three – while posting two blocks and two assists. Wilkes saw a dip in performance in his second scrimmage, posting a field goal percentage of just 0.143, while going 0-for-3 from deep.

Wilkes placed second overall in lane agility with a time of 10.39 seconds. He shot 60% from the corners in the NBA 3-point drills.

Brown made his first appearance at the draft combine after he entered the 2019 draft without a formal announcement.

In his first scrimmage, Brown went 2-for-5 from the field for a total of four points. He also tallied six rebounds and one block. Brown was listed as inactive for his second scrimmage.

Brown’s physicals put him in the top five for seven different categories in the physical and athletic events. Among all players in Chicago, Brown had the third-highest standing reach at 9 feet, 5 inches. He was also the second-tallest player, standing at 7 feet, 1.25 inches. His wingspan measured third-highest in the combine.

The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 20.

No. 1 baseball sets multiple program records, tied for most conference wins

The 2019 Bruins could be in the record books for years to come – and they have their offense to thank.

No. 1 UCLA baseball (45-8, 22-5 Pac-12) topped the rankings for a program-record 10th consecutive week and is coming off a sweep led by the offense scoring 26 runs. This is the seventh time the Bruins have scored at least 20 runs in a series and has contributed to the many program records the team has set this year.

Sophomore center fielder Garrett Mitchell, last week’s Pac-12 Player of the Week, has led the UCLA offense this season. He continued his offensive production, batting .500, knocking in eight RBIs and picking up five extra-base hits this weekend.

“(Mitchell)’s becoming the player that we all thought he could (be),” said coach John Savage. “(Mitchell)’s had a terrific year and is a dynamic player.”

Mitchell legged out four triples during the series against Washington, with two coming in the Friday-night win. He now has nine triples on the season and is just one shy of tying the school record set in 1988.

“I’ve just been trying to use the middle of the field, drive the ball and stay on pitches,” Mitchell said.

The Bruin offense has been averaging eight runs per game during their current eight-game winning streak. UCLA has 16 home runs over those eight games with an average margin of victory of nearly six runs.

“We’re trusting our approach and it’s really easy falling into the trap of being a power team,” said junior shortstop Ryan Kreidler. “I think our team has done a good job of beating teams multiple ways. Top to bottom, we’re having quality at-bats and that’s something that’s really hard to pitch to.”

The offense has scored six-plus runs on 18 different occasions at home this season and was able to propel the Bruins to their best regular season home record in program history. UCLA has lost just four games at Jackie Robinson Stadium, and has won 19 of its last 20 games at home.

The weekend’s sweep over Washington clinched UCLA’s first .800-plus regular season win percentage since 1924. UCLA’s Pac-12 record is also above .800, and its 22 Pac-12 wins have already tied the school record for most conference wins with three Pac-12 games left this season.

“You have to be mature to win in this conference,” Savage said. “You can’t win with a bunch of young, talented players who don’t know what they’re doing.”

While the Bruins have won 45 games, they have also lost only eight games this year. If the UCLA can sweep Oregon next weekend, they will have lost the fewest games in a regular season since 1934, when the Bruins dropped seven of its 17 games.

Q&A: New men’s soccer coach discusses goals for recruiting and building team

Daily Bruin’s assistant Sports editor Gabriel McCarthy sat down with UCLA’s new men’s soccer coach, Ryan Jorden, to discuss settling into coaching in Westwood and his ambitions for the future of the squad.

Daily Bruin: What has been the most exciting part of joining the program and the new project that lies ahead of you?

Ryan Jorden: For as long as I can remember, UCLA from a soccer standpoint has been the pinnacle of college soccer – at least on the West Coast. It should be. The excitement of being on the university campus that UCLA is, and to be able to recruit student-athletes to show the amazing environment available to them is unrivaled. Certainly, that should allow us to recruit top student-athletes that want to be a part of that. It’s a really exciting place to be with the history, tradition and success over the course of time. Getting to be a part of that is tremendous, while also getting the opportunity to shape the future of it is a real responsibility.

DB: What were your previous connections to UCLA, and what was the hiring process like?

RJ: I’m from Santa Barbara and was fortunate enough to play against UCLA every year. So, I’ve been able to see some of the great teams and great players that have been through here. Certainly, in the interviewing and hiring process, I was very cognizant of the opportunity that was in front of me. When the position was offered to me, I was extremely excited about it and honored that I was being given the opportunity to run this program and be in charge of steering its future.

DB: You have experience with long-term projects, especially after you led the University of the Pacific to three NCAA tournaments after its first season back in Division I since 1986. UCLA has not necessarily been in a slump, but after a tough season two years ago, what are you hoping to change to allow the Bruins to be more competitive on the national stage again?

RJ: Over the course of time, there have always been really talented student-athletes here – guys who are terrific players. I don’t think that has changed. I think that it’s really important that we frame and shape an environment (where) everybody understands the opportunity to play and wear the UCLA soccer shirt is a big one. The opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some really famous alumni, whether they’ve been in national teams or in professional circles upon completing their degrees and moving on to the next level. We have got some great models to look up to, so it’s exciting to know those guys and those who were a part of the history from before us want to be involved. To get them connected to our team and have our current team feel the UCLA soccer family is a big part of what we want to do over the course of the coming weeks and months. That tradition and history has to be the heartbeat of what drives our players forward.

DB: What are you hoping to bring to the program in terms of philosophy and style of play?

RJ: UCLA historically has had the capacity, because of the quality of players here, to have the most attractive type of football that can be played in college soccer. Over the course of the past five years, I feel the groups that we had at Pacific were built on the back of really trying to play a ball-retentive, possession-based, dynamic attacking type of soccer. I think it’s a little bit (countercultural) to Division I, which can be a little bit more rugged and predicated on raw physical qualities. Hopefully, the type of football we play is entertaining because we have the ball. Nobody wants to go watch their team sit and defend – people think you’re a bad coach if you have to do that. We should be able to put a product on the field that not only showcases the quality of players we have and allows them to express themselves, but, I also want it to showcase their intelligence as (footballers) when making decisions and knowing how to expose the opponent by creating a numerical advantage, seeking space and being able to move the opponent. All of those things are predicated on having the ball. So, we want to be a team that can dictate and boss the tempo as well as switch into really high gear and a really high tempo that hopefully other teams can’t cope with. Stylistically, we want to play an entertaining brand of soccer that you probably won’t see on many college campuses.

DB: What are your thoughts on the current squad and what are you hoping to bring to the program in terms of talent through recruiting?

RJ: There were holes that needed to be filled throughout the team. We have to find players who can play the standard that befits being in the squad at UCLA. I’ve had a great time with the group of guys that are here as we’ve been training for a couple of weeks, and it’s been really enjoyable getting to know them as individuals and the collective quality of the group. We’re working really hard at the recruiting process because we still do have a number of holes to fill. It’s an exciting time to get to immediately shape and craft the playing squad. I’m working with the assistant coaches here, formulating a recruiting plan and going and trying to bring those players here. It’s a lot of fun, and to develop those relationships, especially by giving someone the opportunity to come to a place like this, but also to find players that are going to be a great fit for us going forward.

DB: What are your plans for the summer period, especially in terms of recruiting?

RJ: We’re not allowed to have any contact with the guys from a playing standpoint during the summertime. Hopefully, for them, they know the work they need to do in order to come back and be fit to engage with the college soccer season in the fall. From a coaching and staff standpoint, it’s a recruiting time where we’re looking at next year’s class and the one following that, starting to evaluate and have conversations with top prospective student-athletes for the years to come. The nice thing about Southern California is that a lot of events come here and we have the greatest talent pool in America. We need to be California-based, especially if you look back at the history and tradition, for a lot of years it was really a California-based team. It doesn’t mean we won’t look at international players who can and add a different perspective and experience factor, as well as it doesn’t mean we won’t look at players outside of California. We’re fortunate enough with the Academy Showcase in the summertime coming to us, and we don’t have to go to Florida to watch it. We’ll be in California pretty consistently through the summer, making sure we know every top team and the players in (the Academy Showcase), to make sure we have a picture of players from outside regions that would be good candidates to be student-athletes here.

DB: Obviously, you’ve had experience with the postseason, after taking Pacific to the NCAA second round twice. What are your thoughts on NCAA tournament play and your ambition for the Bruins in sudden-death matches?

RJ: I think the baseline expectation of any team that’s going to be competitive is that the tournament is the base standard. That’s the objective for us and it will be every single year. Because from there, regardless of what your seeding is, whether you get a first-round bye or you have an opportunity to win the first-round game and survive and advance, everything becomes one-offs. If you’ve done a great job coaching your team, and you’ve prepared your group to have tactical flexibility, that time of year is fun because it becomes really big individual tactical matchups with a lot on the line. That’s the objective for us, and it will be every single year.

DB: Any concluding remarks about what lies ahead?

RJ: Obviously, the season is when you get the chance to really find out about your team and work on your product. Any time there’s a coaching transition, there’s going to be some uncertainty over what that transition is going to look like. I think the fun part is, as I’ve seen working with the guys over the past couple weeks, their adaptability, qualities and desire to really grow to work together has been significant. I’m really excited about the prospect and looking forward to a couple of months down the line when we have the entire team here with the incoming players, and we get to figure out how good our team in 2019 can be.