BOSTON — “Miracle Worker”
Massachusetts medspa owner Victor Mourre describes himself as a surgeon who performs cosmetic procedures in the booming medical aesthetics industry. He’s appeared on a billboard in hospital scrubs, promoting a treatment for frown lines at his business.
“I am a surgeon and I do cosmetic procedures” he said during an interview with a Massachusetts podcaster last year. “I do them very well as you know,” he told the host.
In the recorded interview, Mourre said he went to medical school in Mexico and “finished his residency” at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
The podcast host referred to Mourre as a “miracle worker” and complimented him on having a great touch. Both an audio and video version of the podcast have been taken down and are no longer available online.
Unlicensed “Mentor”
Mourre had been working as the “director of clinical education” at a popular medical aesthetic training center in Waltham that teaches licensed professionals like nurses how to perform cosmetic procedures.
Pictures posted on social media show Mourre teaching students how to inject neurotoxins like Botox – in some, Mourre appears to demonstrate injections on cadavers. In others, Mourre appears to inject live models.
25 Investigates found Mourre is not allowed to perform the exact same procedures he teaches, because he’s never held a license to practice medicine in Massachusetts.
The State Board of Registration in Medicine’s database doesn’t list any physician license for Mourre in Massachusetts and a Board spokesperson confirmed they have no record of him.
Mourre’s name was removed from the Aesthetic Mentor’s website after 25 Investigates began asking questions about his credentials, following an anonymous tip.
A spokesperson for the Aesthetic Mentor said Mourre is no longer employed there.
“All of the staff of Aesthetic Mentor were aware that he is a physician and is not licensed to practice medicine in the United States,” the spokesperson said in an email.
According to the spokesperson, Mourre provided proof that he graduated from medical school in Mexico and during the three years he worked there, he was “not allowed to perform any procedures which require treatment of patients.”
Dr. Gary Mendese is the Vice President of the Massachusetts Academy of Dermatology and a board-certified surgeon. He said licensing helps to ensure a doctor or medical provider has the appropriate education and training. Speaking about the medical aesthetics industry, he said, “Probably 90 plus percent of all these procedures that are performed are complication free. But it’s knowing how to deal with the complications… that’s what I think makes it safe or unsafe.”
“I think the public probably doesn’t understand the risks involved,” he added.
Credentials
“Let me tell you this – going to medical school gives you the authority to call yourself a doctor,” Mourre said.
Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel first spoke with Mourre in September to ask him about his background.
“I was a surgeon in Mexico,” Mourre said.
Mourre provided 25 Investigates with a 2001 degree in surgery from La Universidad Del Noreste in Tampico, Mexico and a letter stating he did a two-month clinical rotation at Massachusetts General Hospital in January and February 2001. Mourre told Investigative Reporter Ted Daniel he assisted in surgeries during his rotation.
A clinical rotation usually lasts one to three months while a residency is a three or more-year training program done after completing medical school and an internship. In an email. the Massachusetts General physician who signed Mourre’s rotation letter told 25 Investigates in capital letters he, “DID NOT perform any surgery… he was only an observer.”
A spokesperson from La Universidad Del Noreste said she could only confirm the authenticity of Mourre’s degree with authorization from him.
Victor Hernandez Mourre
Archived files at the Suffolk County Criminal Clerk’s office reveal Victor Mourre used to use the name Victor Hernandez. In 2011, Victor Hernandez pleaded guilty to practicing medicine without a license and distributing the pain blocker lidocaine when an office he was renting in Revere was raided by State and Federal law enforcement.
His arrest followed a month’s long investigation where he was accused of performing liposuction and other medical procedures with “stolen medical supplies” and a “stolen prescription pad.” Mourre was sentenced to probation.
In a 2010 statement about the arrest, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said, “Hernandez (Mourre) would perform liposuction, mesotherapy, and other procedures for prices that ranged from $2,500 to $9,000.”
Administrative Role
Mourre owns Boston Cosmetic and Laser. A med spa business with locations in Everett and Revere. Their services include Botox, dermal fillers, plasma injections, and laser hair removal.
Mourre said currently, he only does administrative work at his med spas.
He added: “I learned my lesson. I learned my lesson,” speaking about his more than a decade old arrest.
Mourre says licensed professionals perform all the medical procedures at his med spas. And he said they practice under the supervision of a licensed MD he contracts with.
The state Department of Public Health says it has no complaints against Mourre on file.
In a statement, Mourre said his work at Boston Cosmetic is limited to answering phone calls, checking patients in and out and responding to questions about procedures.
“On occasion, I interact with patients,” he said, “My wish and my goal have always been to help people look and feel better about themselves,” he said.
Multiple posts referring to Mourre as a doctor have been removed from Boston Cosmetic and Laser’s social media pages.
25 Investigates spoke with a former patient, Sheila Chin, who says she went to the Revere office for laser treatment in 2015.
She says Mourre didn’t perform the procedure.
But she says he examined her face when she complained about the results.
“He totally presented himself as a… licensing doctor,” Chin said. “He had the certificate frame on the wall.”
In online reviews, other customers say they’ve been happy with their results. One customer wrote, “Victor is great” in a Yelp post about the business.
“Licensed” in Mexico
More than a month after 25 Investigates first asked Mourre to verify that he is a practicing cosmetic surgeon, a PR firm he hired said he was “licensed” in Mexico and performs procedures in that country. The last time he performed surgery there was 2021, according to his spokesperson. Mourre did not mention his current practice in Mexico during a 10-minute interview conducted with him in September.
In a statement, Mourre said: “I do not practice cosmetic surgery or perform any medical procedures in Massachusetts because I do not have a license to do so.”
“I do however have a license to practice cosmetic surgery in Mexico and perform procedures there,” he said. “I work with a practice in Mexico when I work with patients.”
Mourre’s spokesperson provided letters stating Dr. Victor Hernandez Mourre has active hospital privileges at 2 hospitals in Tampico, Mexico. Both letters were dated the same day they were emailed to 25 Investigates.
The spokesperson said Mourre also works at a surgery center owned by plastic surgeon Dr. Juan Martin Orosio, also in Tampico, Mexico.
25 Investigates requested to know how often Mourre sees patients in Mexico. His spokesperson did not provide the frequency of his trips and instead wrote “when he schedules visits or when he’s requested by Dr. Osorio.”
“His ability to do surgery in Mexico has been limited due to his work commitments here,” the spokesperson said. “Victor attends international medical aesthetic trainings, to stay current with latest best practices.”
Legal Letter
Boston 25 received a letter from attorney Matthew Baltay, from the Boston law firm Foley Hoag LLP, threatening to take legal action on Mourre’s behalf, if 25 Investigates reported that “Mr. Mourre” was practicing medicine in Massachusetts without a license. The letter demands Boston 25 “act prudently and accordingly” and states that “Mr. Mourre will take all legal action to protect his professional reputation.”
Baltay’s letter does not refer to Mourre as a doctor.
“A Lot of Integrity”
In the 2022 podcast where Mourre calls himself a surgeon, the host praises Mourre for his integrity and describes “fakers” in the cosmetic industry. Dr. Mendese says integrity is crucial in any aspect of medicine.
“I think in terms of the cosmetic space that it has become so ubiquitous throughout society that it’s probably difficult to track all of these things,” Mendese said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2023 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
