Agency postpones deadline at clinic where Joan Rivers suffered fatal complication

NEW YORK, N.Y. – A federal agency has postponed a deadline at the New York City clinic where Joan Rivers suffered a fatal complication during a medical procedure.

The comedienne died in September of brain damage due to lack of oxygen after she stopped breathing during an endoscopy. She was 81.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services cited the clinic, Yorkville Endoscopy, for several errors, including failing to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention.

The clinic had until Jan. 7 to correct problems. The federal agency said Thursday that compliance date has been postponed, because its final report isn’t ready.

The clinic could lose its Medicare accreditation. It hasn’t returned a call for comment.

Negligence was not alleged. Rivers’ daughter has hired a malpractice attorney to look into her death.