Head of clinic where Joan Rivers stopped breathing forced out
Anthony DelMundo/New York Day after day News NYPD police officers walk in the Yorkville Endoscopy, where comedian Joan Rivers heart stopped during a procedure. The clinic’s director is reportedly stepping down. 
Jeff Bachner/for New York Day after day News Yorkville Endoscopy allegedly let Joan Rivers’ personal doctor do a biopsy, which a source tells the Day after day News is a ‘huge no-no.’Previous Next
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The medical director of the private High East Side clinic where Joan Rivers went into cardiac arrest has been mandatory out.
Dr. Lawrence Cohen was revealed to have parted ways with Yorkville Endoscopy eight days after the death of the 81-year-ancient comic legend.
Cohen, a gastroenterologist, had come under fire after allowing Rivers’ personal ear, nose and throat specialist into the clinic — even though the doctor wasn’t authorized to do medicine there.
“Dr. Cohen is not currently performing procedures at Yorkville Endoscopy, nor is he currently serving as medical director,” a Yorkville Endoscopy representative said.
Cohen, who performed an endoscopy on Rivers, was fired by the clinic’s board, according to TMZ. Still, he wasn‘t being blamed for Rivers’ death, the gossip site reported
LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS Comedian Joan Rivers died when she was taken off life support following an induced coma. A source on Tuesday told the Day after day News that an ear, nose and throat specialist who accompanied Rivers to the clinic performed an unplanned biopsy on her vocal cords.
The Aug. 28 procedure — which the clinic denied ever took place — is not supposed to be performed further than a hospital.
The biopsy caused Rivers’ vocal cords to seize up — a shape up doctors call a laryngospasm — cutting off her air supply, the source said.
The News reported that Rivers’ doctor questioned if he could use the clinic’s instruments after “something” was blemished on her vocal cords.
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images Flowers are positioned on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star for Joan Rivers upon news of her death. “He questioned, and they let him,” the source said. “A huge no-no.”
The source added that Rivers had only signed off on an endoscopy, not the far more risky biopsy.
Rivers’ death is being investigated by the state Shape Department and the medical examiner.
