‘VIP Syndrome’ a risk when celebrities seek medical care

One doctor delivered test results to Prince’s home. Another sent his son, who wasn’t a physician, on a cross-country flight to bring medication to the star.

It’s not clear if any doctor could have averted the fentanyl overdose that killed Prince on April 21. But his death may offer evidence for how special treatment often afforded to the rich and famous can result in worse health care than ordinary Americans receive.

The pattern is called “VIP Syndrome.” Stars may reject medical advice or demand ineffective or harmful treatments. Star-struck doctors may order unnecessary tests or not enough tests.

The timeline of events surrounding Prince’s death suggests missed opportunities, experts said.

“There are a number of red flags that go up,” said Dr. Robert Klitzman, who directs Columbia University’s bioethics master’s program.

On April 15, Prince’s plane made an emergency stop in Illinois. Media organizations reported that first responders gave him an antidote often used to reverse suspected opioid overdoses.

“You’d think someone would say, ‘Let’s get him into treatment,’” Klitzman said. Instead, a week passed before Prince’s associates called a California addiction and pain specialist, Dr. Howard Kornfeld.

Kornfeld sent his son Andrew to persuade Prince to seek care at his Recovery Without Walls center, according to William Mauzy, the Kornfelds’ attorney. Andrew Kornfeld carried a small dose of buprenorphine, which is used to ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings, Mauzy said.

The younger Kornfeld was among those who discovered Prince’s body.

The actions of Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg, a family physician, are also under scrutiny.

Schulenberg saw Prince on April 7 and 20. He told investigators he prescribed medications for Prince, but a search warrant did not specify which drugs. Schulenberg arrived “on the death scene” at some point, according to the warrant. He told a detective he was there to drop off test results.

Schulenberg’s attorney, who would not comment about Prince, said the doctor has made house calls since he was in residency, when he was trained to do them. He carries only a stethoscope and “does not administer medications or perform any type of procedures in a patient’s home,” attorney Amy Conners said.