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From: Peter.Heimlich@gmail.com
To: thrnews@thr.com, EIC Matthew Belloni 
Cc: Ryan Parker, Seth Abramovitch, Tonight Show publicist Amber James
subject: Letter to the editor (submitted for publication)
Date: Sun, Apr 26, 2020 at 3:18 PM 

To the editor: 

According to an April 22, 2020 story by THR reporter Ryan Parker, last week on the Tonight Show actor Halle Berry told Jimmy Fallon that in 2002, her co-star Pierce Brosnan used my father's namesake anti-choking maneuver to save her from choking to death while filming a love scene for the James Bond thriller, Die Another Day. 

However, six years ago in Seth Abramovitch's award-winning August 14, 2014 THR investigative report, How Dr. Heimlich Maneuvered Hollywood Into Backing His Dangerous AIDS "Cure" -- based on research by my wife and me -- "(Ms.) Berry has denied being saved by the (Heimlich) maneuver." 

So which is it? 

Presumably Mr. Brosnan, Die Another Day director Lee Tamahori, and others involved in the picture can resolve the discrepancy. Also, since Ms. Berry claims it happened mid-scene, if the cameras were still rolling that would be some dramatic, newsworthy footage. 

Sincerely, 

Peter M. Heimlich 
Peachtree Corners, GA 30096 USA 
ph: (208)474-7283 
e-mail: peter.heimlich@gmail.com 
website: http://medfraud.info 
blog: http://the-sidebar.com 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/medfraud_pmh 
bio: http://tinyurl.com/ych7o7dr

Via the print version of Abramovitch's article

Via Hollywood Reporter Wins Best Publication, Website At National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards, The Hollywood Reporter, December 6, 2015:

The Hollywood Reporter was honored with 18 awards, including best website and best entertainment publication, at the (Los Angeles Press Club's) eighth annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards on Sunday held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A.

...Senior writer Seth Abramovitch nabbed the best print (newspapers or magazines) industry/arts feature (over 1,000 words) award for “Dr. Heimlich's Hollywood Maneuvers.”

Via 2015 Winners, 8th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards:

Judge’s comment: “Through outstanding investigative research and writing, Abramovitch meticulously constructs a cautionary tale about how the famous inventor of the Heimlich anti-choking maneuver made a stunning, and wrong, claim that HIV might be cured by injecting patients with malaria, and how sympathetic entertainers donated to Dr. Heimlich’s research that proved to be faulty and unscientific.”

LA Press Club president and NBC News LA anchor/reporter Robert Kovacik and Seth Abramovitch (source)

Via Abramovitch's August 14, 2014 report:

At the height of the (AIDS) crisis, the inventor of the famous anti-choking technique claimed HIV could be cured by injecting patients with malaria. New documents reveal how stars like Jack Nicholson and Ron Howard gave thousands to his cause.

Here are some of the other victims of of my father's scam:

Via the print version of Abramovitch's article

Perhaps ironically, my father deserves considerable credit for the the award-winning article:

A trove of documents recently made public and turned over to THR now reveal the extent to which Heimlich's medical project -- cited for 13 "deficiencies" by the FDA in 2000, including "failure to have procedures to determine that risks to subjects are minimized" -- seduced the likes of Jack Nicholson, Bob Hope and Ron Howard into contributing to a $600,000 experimental medical program. In this bizarre chapter of Hollywood philanthropy, Heimlich's campaign offers a startling cautionary tale on the potential dangers of giving.

...Peter Heimlich, a 60-year-old textile importer from the Atlanta area, who, along with wife Karen Shulman, has spent the past 12 years researching and publicizing the less-celebrated aspects of his father's medical legacy.

The "trove of documents" was part of the "120 linear feet" of records donated by my father to a University of Cincinnati library in 2011.

Karen and I copied the "malaria goes to Hollywood" paperwork at the library and on April 25, 2014, I cold-called The Hollywood Reporter (THR).

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I got patched through to editor Jeanie Pyun and after I told her about the story and the paperwork, she said the words every source loves to hear: "Have you shared this with any other reporters?"

That led to a productive and engaging reporter/source relationship with Abramovitch. Combined with his stellar reporting, her story instinct and THR's willingness to publish long-form investigative reports made possible the award, a photo of which Seth e-mailed me from the event.

courtesy of Seth Abramovitch

Switching roles, I asked Seth for a comment for my blog to which he replied:

It's incredibly gratifying to be recognized by the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards for "Dr. Heimlich's Hollywood Maneuvers," a story I am particularly proud of. It's a powerful reminder to question figures of authority, particularly the most charismatic ones who, at our most vulnerable moments, peddle magic-bullet cures for dire and complex problems. Many thanks to Peter Heimlich and Karen Shulman for their hard work and cooperation with The Hollywood Reporter in bringing this troubling but important story to light.

From Karen and me to Seth, Jeanie, and everyone else who participated, congratulations and keep up the great work!

Today via NationalCalendarDay.com:


Meanwhile, via a press release just issued by The Hollywood Reporter:

The Hollywood Reporter has been honored with 48 nominations — more than any other news organization -- for its original reporting by the Los Angeles Press Club's 57th Southern California Journalism Awards.

...Seth Abramovitch, senior writer, earned a feature, magazine nomination (over 1,000 words) for How Dr. Heimlich Maneuvered Hollywood Into Backing His Dangerous AIDS "Cure."

(The awards) will be handed out at a gala ceremony on Sunday, June 28, at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

 

Seth Abramovitch (source)

Via Seth's August 14, 2014 THR article (based on documents my wife Karen and I obtained from the Henry J. Heimlich Archival Collection, donated by my father to a University of Cincinnati library):

At the height of the crisis, the inventor of the famous anti-choking technique claimed HIV could be cured by injecting patients with malaria. New documents reveal how stars like Jack Nicholson and Ron Howard gave thousands to his cause.

...As his fundraising machinery hummed along, Dr. Heimlich drew up a new version of his institute letterhead, which now boasted its star-studded "Hollywood Support Committee." Alongside the names of (Bruce) Davison, (Jon) Voight and (Amy) Irving were those of Ed Begley Jr., Ted Danson, Anjelica Huston, Muhammad Ali and Bette Midler, none of whom would comment for this story. Richard Dreyfuss, also listed as a committee member, tells THR that he never met Heimlich nor did he ever support his malariotherapy efforts. But Asner, whose name also appears as a backer, does recall Heimlich with fondness: "I respected him as a worthwhile scientist," says Asner.

Paul K. Bronston MD (source)

 ...Hopeful that an effective AIDS treatment was within reach, all the guests (at Joanne Carson's fundraising event) buzzed, except for one: Dr. Paul Bronston, an ER doctor and chair of a medical ethics board who had tagged along with his friend, actor Bruce Davison, an Oscar nominee for the 1989 AIDS drama Longtime Companion. Bronston says he went to Carson's house that night with the intention of meeting the legendary man behind the Heimlich maneuver, knowing only that the topic was vaguely AIDS-related. But as the guest of honor spoke and video cameras captured every word -- Heimlich had commissioned a documentary about himself, according to correspondence with director Lisa Pelikan in 1993 -- Bronston couldn't believe what he was hearing. (Pelikan declined to comment.)

"I just f--ing hit the ceiling," Bronston, 63, tells THR. "I went f--ing crazy. It was dangerous, it was total bullshit. His proposal was giving malaria-infected blood to people who had AIDS. It doesn't take a genius to know that you don't give an infectious disease to somebody who has a suppressed immune system."

Jeanie Pyun (source)

Big congratulations to Seth and to THR editor Jeanie Pyun, who, when I first contacted her, immediately grasped the importance of the information and then shepherded the story through publication. Keep up the great work and good luck at the awards gala!

Jason Schmidt and Cincinnati Red's player Todd Frazier, who made headlines a couple years ago for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a choking man in a Pittsburgh restaurant (source)

I've always thought my father's bizarre career along with his twisted personal life would make a terrific documentary.

Perhaps not surprisingly, as his (very) unauthorized amateur biographer and most outspoken critic, I've been approached over the years by a handful of filmmakers who had the same idea.

One recent contender is Jason Schmidt, who, per his website, "is a veteran freelance video editor based in New York City."

Since last year, he's been trying to get a project off the ground called The Maneuver: The Inside Story of Dr. Henry Heimlich as his directorial debut.

This past April he contacted me and invited me to be interviewed.

He didn't impress me in the least, so I politely declined.

I also requested that if anyone asked if I was participating in his project, that they be informed that I wasn't.

Since then, a few articles and press releases have appeared about his project and in July a Kickstarter campaign raised close to $32,000 in funding.

Friends have asked why I gave him a thumbs-down, plus I've got some editorial and fund raising concerns about the project, hence this item.

I prefer to keep my posts short, so here's Part I.

Photo by Wesley Mann for The Hollywood Reporter

In initial e-mails, Schmidt informed me he'd already conducted a round of interviews in Cincinnati, including a lengthy interview with my then 93-year-old father at the retirement community where he's lived in recent years.

Putting aside whatever you think of our research, my wife and I probably know more about Henry Heimlich than anyone except Henry Heimlich.

And over the past decade we've accumulated thousands of important documents, some of which were the basis for the scores of print and broadcast reports since 2003 based on our research that helped expose my father as a dangerous charlatan and world-class scammer.

Seth Abramovitch (source)

Here's the most recent, the jaw-dropping August 14 Hollywood Reporter expose by reporter Seth Abramovitch, How Dr. Heimlich Maneuvered Hollywood Into Backing His Dangerous AIDS "Cure," based on documents I shared with the magazine.

My point?

Love me or not, I've got the goods.

Therefore, what kind of documentary maker would conduct an in-depth interview with my father without first trying to pick my brain for possible questions to ask Dr. Maneuver?

But here's where the Schmidt really hit the fan.

In an initial e-mail, I asked him about his funding source for the round of Cincinnati interviews he'd completed.

His reply?

I imagine you're dancing around the question of whether or not this project is funded by your father or sympathetic associates? If that's the case, you can be assured that no such money has been offered or accepted. Perhaps that will change...and likewise, if you know of any deep-pocketed patrons/benefactors interested in supporting a great project, I'm all ears.

Hear that fluttering of wings?

Sounds to me like credibility flying out the window.

First, I'd never participate in a project with anyone willing to accept funds from my father or his associates or from me or anyone I might steer to him.

Second, I'd never participate in a project with anyone so indiscreet and lacking in self-awareness that they'd put such an abysmal admission in writing.

Speaking of abysmal, check out the film's trailer:



Part II: My father's press agent helped fund Jason Schmidt's documentary -- and she says she's personal friends with Schmidt

Part III: A Problematic "Heimlich Artwork" Kickstarter Premium and My Father's Relationships with Narco Docs

Part IV: Other problems with the film's Kickstarter fund raising campaign

Part V: Jason Schmidt refuses to answer my questions about false and/or problematic claims in his project's Kickstarter funding campaign

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Never underestimate the lengths to which some academics and media professionals will go:

A) To avoid admitting they made mistakes.
B) To refuse to correct them.

That may be the moral of this tale about a prominent medical historian/physician/author and his editor at the PBS NewsHour who, as a result of their unwillingness to properly handle a simple corrections request, made possible this item.

It stars with How Dr. Heimlich got his maneuver 40 years ago by Dr. Howard Markel, published June 16 on the website of the PBS NewsHour.

Overall, it was a solid story and I appreciated this inclusion (and link to my website):

 
However, I spotted a two easy-to-fix factual date errors and, since I'm sort of an unauthorized archivist of my father's career, I was curious to obtain citations to documents on which Dr. Markel based two claims in his article.

I assumed any self-respecting historian, especially one with his reputation, would be want to get dates right and that he'd be glad to send me the requested citations.

Also, I always welcome an opportunity to pick the brains of experts, so I thought Dr. Markel might be willing and able to analyze some statistics I reported about last year (re: another Public Broadcasting story), Radiolab's junk reporting: my investigation requests to the National Science Foundation & WNYC -- and some surprising statistics about choking deaths.

So on June 16, I sent Dr. Markel a courteous e-mail, complimenting him for doing a good job, politely requesting the two date corrections based on published information I included, and asking for supporting documentation about the two claims he made.

To my surprise, I completely struck out.

Dr. Markel punted my request to his NewsHour editor, Margaret Myers. Long story short, in an exchange of about a half-dozen e-mails, they refused to correct the errors, to adequately substantiate the two claims, and he expressed no interest in the choking death stats. (Click here to download a pdf.)



Confident I was on firm ground, I took it to PBS ombudsman Michael Getler in this June 30 request. (Click here to download.)



Next, another surprise.

Without contacting me or asking permission to make public my request, a few days later, Getler posted an item on his blog, Warning: Chewing on This May Cause Choking.

On the plus side of the ledger, he did a thorough job and got responses from Dr. Markel that might charitably be described as elliptical.



But, inexplicably, Getler couldn't resist throwing this spitball at yours truly.


Let me get this straight.

I ask him to review reportorial problems with a NewsHour story. Then, without knowing anything about the decade of research by my wife and I into my father's singular career and apparently unaware of the scores print and broadcast media reports based on our work, without asking me any questions, he publishes a false, assumptive, insulting claim about me.

What the heck, it's only my reputation and he's an ombudsman.





Meanwhile, the false information was still in Dr. Markel's story, so I was back to square one.

In search of more information, last month I submitted a public records request to the University of Michigan for records associated with Dr. Markel's article. I'd corresponded with him via his university e-mail address, so those e-mails and presumably other related e-mails should be subject to the Michigan FOIA Act.

Then, yes, another surprise.

The university denied my FOIA on the grounds that "(any) responsive records that exist are Dr. Markel's personal records, and not public records pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.

A professor's use of university e-mail for an outside writing gig is "personal"?

I don't think so, so a couple days ago I filed this appeal. (Click here to download.)



I know what you're thinking.

"Give up, Peter. It's not worth it and you're in the bureaucratic equivalent of the La Brea Tar Pits."

But wait, there's another surprise, and, finally, this one's in my favor.

Reporter Seth Abramovitch (source)

Via last week's must-read Hollywood Reporter expose, How Dr. Heimlich Maneuvered Hollywood Into Backing His Dangerous AIDS "Cure" by Seth Abramovitch (emphasis added):

The Heimlich Institute claims that 100,000 lives have been saved, and in his memoir, Heimlich's Maneuvers: My Seventy Years of Livesaving Innovation, published earlier this year, he includes those of Cher, Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry among them. Berry has denied being saved by the maneuver; Cher and Kidman didn't respond to inquiries.

Halle Berry (source)

Via Dr. Markel's article:

(The) Heimlich maneuver has helped to save countless lives over the past four decades including...Halle Berry.

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Yesterday I wrote PBS NewsHour co-host and managing editor Judy Woodruff to ask for a published correction for the Halle Berry error, the other errors, and to review the reporting and editing of Dr. Markel's in order to determine if it meets the program's standards. (Click here to download.)