It appears as if Dr. Drew Pinsky is quitting his day job.
The silver-haired addiction medicine specialist, who help stars kick their habits on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, is leaving his post at Aurora Las Encinas Hospital.
Pinsky has been the co-medical director of the high-end psychiatric hospital’s chemical dependency program for the past 19 years.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the doc, who also helms VH1’s Sober House and MTV’s Sex...With Mom and Dad, did not reveal the reason for his departure but confirmed it through his agent.
Coincidentally, Pinsky is leaving Aurora Las Encinas as the Pasadena, Calif., hospital comes under renewed examination – in the past few years, four patients have died and one was raped, and inspectors have caught wind of several recent escapes and near-suicides.
Notably, one known suicidal woman removed a battery from a TV remote control and swallowed it; days later, she broke a mirror and swallowed glass. Another suicidal woman was found as she tried to hang herself from a faucet with ties from the back of a hospital gown.
Authorities have informed Aurora Las Encinas that its federal financial support could be pulled because of the recent incidents.
Pinsky has been a regular fixture in the news lately. Last week, we reported that his alleged stalker was arrested for threatening the doc.
Also last week, we reported that Pinsky came to the aid of Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman when he suffered a seizure on the set of The Insider.
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