AUSTIN, Texas — The dancing doctor who recorded viral videos had her medical license suspended after a Channel 2 Action News investigation. But now she’s dancing again – this time with needles and a brand new identity.
Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray learned she has no active medical license that we can find anywhere.
Dancing videos posted on social media made Dr. Windell Boutte famous. And it turns out it also was social media that inadvertently exposed her new identity to former patients.
“Good morning,” said a Channel 2 Action News producer as she entered Eden Medical Spa in Austin, Texas.
“How are you?” asked an Eden Medical Spa worker.
“Good,” the producer answered.
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Channel 2 Action News sent in the producer undercover because of who is seeing patients there.
“How long have you been doing this?” the producer asked.
“I’ve been doing injections since 1997,” answered Dr. Catherine Davis, M.D.
She was listed as the owner of Eden Medical Spa on the website. It touts Dr. Davis’ experience at UCLA Cedar Sinai and Emory.
“Hi, Dr. Davis or is it Dr. Boutte? It’s Justin Gray from Channel 2. Do you have a Texas medical license?” asked Gray in the spa’s parking lot.
Dr. Davis started laughing at that very serious question. But there is nothing funny about the memories that flooded back when Ojay Liburd got a Facebook friend suggestion for Catherine Davis.
“Once I saw it on Facebook, I clicked on it and realized that that’s Dr. Boutte,” said Liburd.
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The dancing doctor videos from the operating table Dr. Windell Boutte once posted on social media got viral attention after our 2018 Channel 2 Action News investigation.
But Liburd was thinking about his mother Icilma Cornelius.
She was about to be married and earn her Ph.D. in nursing when a cosmetic surgery by Dr. Boutte went very wrong. Cornelius suffered permanent brain damage.
“In my 20′s, I was now the parent,” said Liburd.
He became his mother’s caretaker every day for seven years until his mother passed away last July from complications of those injuries.
His was one of a series of more than a dozen malpractice settlements and rulings with Dr. Boutte that resulted in millions of dollars in judgments. The state medical board ultimately suspended Boutte’s license.
Susan Witt represented many of Boutte’s former patients in court.
“Patients for damn sure have a right to know your doctor’s history,” said Witt.
Catherine Davis is Boutte’s middle and maiden names. Nothing about Boutte’s troubling legal and professional history comes up with a Google search of that new identity.
“I want somebody who knows what they’re doing. They’re working on me,” said the producer.
“Exactly. Exactly,” said Davis.
We sent in our Channel 2 Action News producer to see what Davis tells patients. We switched off the undercover camera in the exam room.
Davis let our producer record the consultation on her phone.
“As a physician, you’re trained, ‘OK, what’s the worst case scenario?’” said Davis during the consultation.
“According to Texas law, it is illegal to advertise or promote yourself as a doctor without a Texas medical license,” said Gray to Davis.
There is no license listed for her as Catherine Davis or Windell Boutte in Texas. A consent order in Georgia also bars Ms. Boutte from using the titles physician, doctor, or M.D.
But she has been.
“Do you know it’s illegal to advertise yourself as a doctor in Texas without a medical license?” Gray asked Davis.
Quiet with us, but online she is dancing again, this time with needles in advertising. Video shows Davis injecting a patient in an online promotional event.
In her consultation with our undercover producer, Davis repeatedly referenced her medical experience as a dermatologist and plastic surgeon.
“I’ve done a lot of abdominoplasties, tummy tucks, breast implants,” said Davis.
“I would like her to be truthful to her patients,” said Liburd.
“Do your patients know you have a suspended license? Do you tell anybody on your consultations about Windell Boutte?” Gray asked Davis.
“You guys are harassing someone,” said Amber Larsen, the other owner of Eden Medical Spa.
She seemed surprised when we called Davis Dr. Boutte.
“Doctor who?” asked Larsen.
“Dr. Boutte. Her name is Dr. Windell Boutte,” said Gray.
“Uh, no it’s not,” said Larsen.
“Yes, it actually is,” said Gray.
After we sent questions to Eden Medical Spa, the language on their website started changing, references to the doctor and owner disappearing. We even watched it happening in real-time each time we clicked refresh on our browser.
“Yet, she’s still holding herself out as being a physician who has all these credentials. But she’s omitting a lot of really important information,” said Witt.
This is what Boutte, or as she prefers Davis, told our undercover producer about how she went from Atlanta plastic surgeon to a Texas medical spa.
“I’m just doing injections. So, this is my happy place. This is 58 years old. I’m just kind of like, riding it out,” said Davis laughing.
By Texas law, a licensed doctor has to be one of the owners of a medical spa. We could not find an active business license for Eden Medical Spa.
We alerted the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Secretary of State’s office about our investigation.
The Texas Medical Board told us it cannot confirm complaints and/or investigations because they are by law confidential.
The Texas of Secretary of State’s office did not reply to our emails and calls. Eden Medical Spa did not respond to our emailed questions.
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