A registered nurse who tried to sound the alarm about “illegal” and “unethical” practices and a “toxic work environment” at an Ames cosmetic surgery center has dismissed her lawsuit.
Story County resident Tonya Becker filed a lawsuit in March against the now-closed Sturm Cosmetic Surgery Center and its head surgeon, Linsday Sturm, claiming she was wrongfully fired in retaliation.
She was the third party to bring a lawsuit against the surgery center since late 2023.
Sturm Cosmetic Surgery abruptly closed in February. A notice taped to its front door said the facility was no longer accepting appointments, and all upcoming surgical appointments had been canceled.
Two unrelated malpractice lawsuits were filed against Sturm, one for wrongful death and another seeking damages after a “negligent procedure.”
Complaints against Sturm and the surgery center spawned a now private Facebook group with over 3,200 members and hundreds of posts.
Becker’s lawsuit said she believes she was fired in May 2024 as a “result of her refusing to compromise patient safety, rejecting illegal and unethical directives, and standing up against a toxic work environment.” Becker also said Sturm created a “workplace culture where employees felt unable to express safety concerns without fear of retaliation.”
Dr. Lindsay Sturm was a licensed physician specializing in full-body cosmetic surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery. She surrendered her license in May, according to the Iowa State Board of Medicine’s website.
Sturm filed for bankruptcy in June, and Becker dismissed her from the lawsuit without prejudice. Sturm Cosmetic Surgery was dismissed from the case with prejudice on Aug. 21.
Becker’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on Friday, Aug. 22.
Dismissal follows Sturm’s bankruptcy filing
Lindsay Sturm and her husband Sean Sturm, who is an anesthesiologist at McFarland Clinic, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on June 14, according to a court filing.
The bankruptcy filing lists $5.99 million in assets, including a $1.5 million home and other property, and $5.34 million in liabilities, including a $2 million business loan.
Sturm had reached an agreement with the Iowa Board of Medicine just a month before, which called for her to voluntarily surrender her medical license without admiting guilt or wrongdoing. The agreement also said she could not apply for a new license for at least two years.
Becker’s lawsuit against Sturm was temporarily halted after Sturm filed for bankruptcy. Because Sturm was dismissed from the lawsuit “without prejudice,” the case could be refiled. The cosmetic surgery center was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it was dismissed permanently.
Becker was fired after two years serving as registered nurse
Becker said her responsiblities as a PRN Registered Nurse under Sturm included assisting with cosmetic surgeries and overseeing patients’ post-anesthesia care. She was fired on May 13, 2024, less than a year after she became a full-time employee.
Becker said Sturm told her that Sturm Cosmetic Surgery was “a small company” that “strives for positivity” and claimed that Becker “took things too personally and did not fit the clinic’s vibe.” Becker believed she was fired because she disputed several instances of what she called “unethical and inappropriate practices that jeopardized patient safety.”
Becker said she observed surgical closures that were “not being performed in accordance with proper medical protocols,” according to the lawsuit, such as scrub technicians who weren’t allegedly licensed assisting Sturm in closing incisions.
Becker said she learned in July 2023 that patient logs were incomplete or were never scanned into the system.
The lawsuit notes that the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services visited for an inspection, and despite noting several deficiencies, they were allegedly “brushed off.”
Malpractice suits will continue despite bankruptcy filing
Sandra and Gary Quade are suing Sturm by claiming that injuries the physician allegedly caused during surgery and the ensuing “negligent” post-op care led to the death of their daughter. A court-ordered stay was lifted on Aug. 8.
A jury trial has been set for Feb. 10, 2026, according to court documents.
In a separate case, a United Arab Emirates resident who traveled to Ames for surgery at Sturm’s practice filed a lawsuit in October 2023 for damages following a procedure. The lawsuit from Joseph Kaissi claims that Sturm was negligent “by performing a risky and unnecessary abdominoplasty when a less invasive and appropriate procedure was available,” and that he has “serious and permanent” injuries because of Sturm’s and Sturm Cosmetic Surgery’s “negligent” care. A court-ordered stay was lifted on July 23.
A jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 9.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com
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