Medical Director at NJ State Prison Has License Suspended for Medical Malpractice, Death of Inmate

A doctor from Morganville New Jersey recently lost his medical license as a result of failing to properly care for an inmate at Northern State Prison in Newark, NJ. The 64-year-old doctor, a resident of Morganville NJ, worked as the medical director at the Newark prison. One of the doctor’s patients at the prison was a 47-year-old prisoner suffering from Hepatitis C. The prisoner died while under the doctor’s care, prompting an investigation into the death as state officials tried to determine whether the doctor committed medical malpractice.
The suspect was hired to work at Northern State Prison in October 2008. Not long after the suspect began serving as the prison medical director, he started to treat the prisoner with Hepatitis C. Within one month, the patient’s health got so bad that he could barely stand up, fainted frequently, suffered from muscle weakness, and was often confused by his surroundings. On January 20, 2009, the patient fell to the ground while walking in the prison and suffered lacerations and bruises to his face. However, when the doctor examined the patient, he found no reason to admit the patient to the hospital for a blood transfusion. Four days later, the patient died as a result of complications from Hepatitis C, including drastically diminished hemoglobin levels.
While authorities investigated whether the suspect had committed a criminal offense, he was fired by the prison.
The investigation by New Jersey officials eventually turned up evidence that the suspect had overprescribed a number of powerful painkillers to patients out of his private practice in South Amboy, NJ.
Now the suspect’s medical license has been suspended by the NJ Board of Medical Examiners for a period of five years. The suspension will prohibit the suspect from working as a doctor in the State of New Jersey for at least two years, followed by a three-year period in which he will have to demonstrate an adequate level of fitness and competency to practice medicine.
For further information, read the Middletown Patch article, “Morganville Doctor Has License Suspended after Hep C Prison Patient Dies in His Care.”
 
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