Former Seattle-based Swedish Neuroscience Institute Chair Johnny B. Delashaw, MD, claims he has proof of a conspiracy to push him out of his previous employment, The Seattle Times reports.
Here are five things to know.
1. During a state medical hearing, Dr. Delashaw alleged an anonymous source sent him records proving other physicians colluded with The Seattle Times to remove him from his position. In a motion, his lawyers said this proves other physicians were "fabricating complaints against Dr. Delashaw, and enlisting friendly nurses and a physician to provide protected health information to the media," The Seattle Times reports.
2. Dr. Delashaw is pointing to this alleged email exchange between physicians and The Seattle Times to try to reinstate his medical license, which Washington suspended in May 2017. His lawyers presented 121 pages of "electronic correspondence," in which two physicians allegedly had a conversation revealing one offered information to The Seattle Times.
3. However, The Seattle Times reported an attorney for one of the physicians involved said the emails were a forgery. The other physician's lawyers hired a forensic analysis of the physician's email account; the firm didn't discover the alleged email.
4. Dr. Delashaw's March 2017 resignation came after The Seattle Times published an investigative report in February 2017 on the spine and neurosurgery services at Providence Health & Services Swedish-Cherry Hill hospital. The report raised suspicions around the hospital's invasive brain and spine procedures generating around $500 million in net operating revenue in 2015 as well as seeing higher Medicare reimbursement per inpatient visit than any other hospital of its size.
5. Dr. Delashaw brought in 661 inpatient cases resulting in more than $86 million in billed charges within his first 16 months at the hospital. The Seattle Times reported medical staff filed complaints against Dr. Delashaw regarding patient care, inappropriate surgeries, little accountability and other issues.
Read more about the case, here.