Darrell Harrington, MD, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center's director of graduate medical education and designated institutional official, is stepping down from his post amid allegations he protected a former orthopedic surgeon from abuse allegations, The Daily Breeze reported Dec. 14.
Dr. Harrington, who has worked with Torrance, Calif.-based Harbor-UCLA for nearly 20 years, said in an email to staff that "ongoing litigation with Los Angeles County" was among the factors leading to his decision, the report said.
Carmen Mendez, MD, stepped in as interim designated institutional officer.
In October, three female physicians sued Los Angeles County and Harbor-UCLA, alleging that former orthopedic department head Louis Kwong, MD, put patients at risk and created a toxic work environment. Their lawsuits alleged sexual misconduct, delaying acute surgeries in favor of elective procedures and making misogynistic comments.
In November, the hospital was placed on probation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The hospital and the county Department of Health Services didn't confirm to The Daily Breeze at the time whether probation was related to those lawsuits.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn told The Daily Breeze the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is taking allegations of misconduct seriously and that the county "hired an outside agency to conduct a thorough investigation of the allegations, which we anticipate soon."