A prominent pathologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital has been placed on leave after an alleged misdiagnosis led to the removal of a patient’s bladder, in addition to claims he bullied staff, according to a report.
Dr. Jonathan Epstein, 66, was accused of pressuring other doctors at the world-famous Baltimore hospital to give second opinions that agreed with diagnoses made by his wife, Dr. Hillary Epstein, a fellow pathologist, the Washington reported. Post.
The news outlet cited a hospital accreditation report by the nonprofit Joint Commission and four people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Epstein, director of surgical pathology at the hospital, gave second opinions that agreed with those of his wife, who works at Chesapeake Urology Associates in Beltsville, Maryland, according to the newspaper.
In one case, a patient had his bladder removed, only for a postoperative analysis to show a different diagnosis, according to the Washington Post, which cited the sources and the accreditation report.
The Joint Commission ordered Johns Hopkins to address staff concerns “regarding a culture of harassment and intimidation in the department of surgical pathology,” which it said exposed patients to inadequate care.
Epstein was placed on administrative leave in May, according to the newspaper.
Pathologist Dr. Jonathan Epstein has reportedly been suspended by Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore due to misdiagnosis and allegations of bullying by staff. Courtesy
The commission’s report, which was released in August, did not address Epstein’s involvement in second opinions about his wife’s work, but sources told the Washington Post that it played a role in the allegations of “intimidation” or “bullying.”
Epstein wrote in the newspaper that he was “deeply distressed” by the allegations, “as they are the antithesis of everything I stand for and have tried to exhibit in my professional life during these 35 years at Johns Hopkins.”
He declined to address the bladder removal case due to patient privacy considerations, but said that, in general, medical cases “have a lot of complicating factors.”
Epstein also denied there was any conflict of interest in giving second opinions on reports made by his wife, saying he intervened in such cases “based solely on my objective assessment of the case.”
The nonprofit Joint Commission ordered Johns Hopkins to address concerns “about a culture of harassment and intimidation in the department of surgical pathology.” AP
“As an expert in prostate and bladder pathology, I reviewed cases in which there were disagreements between [Hopkins] pathologists who did not have specialized training in prostate and bladder pathology and [Chesapeake] pathologists (who were experts in the field),” he told the outlet in a written statement.
Hillary Epstein did not respond to The Washington Post’s requests for comment.
Severa Lynch, a spokeswoman for Chesapeake Urology, declined to comment on the bladder removal case, also citing patient privacy, but said the practice is committed to the highest standards of care.
The representative added that Chesapeake has never exerted any influence over the hospital’s reviews of its pathology reports.
“These cases are submitted for the sole purpose of obtaining an independent review,” Lynch told the newspaper in an email. “This practice has been an integral part of our mission to provide the highest quality of care to our patients by ensuring unbiased interpretation of diagnostic slides.”
Epstein allegedly pressured doctors to give second opinions that matched the diagnoses made by his wife, Dr. Hillary Epstein.
A Hopkins spokeswoman defended the hospital’s pathology department.
“The Department of Pathology at Johns Hopkins is nationally recognized and we continue to rely on the best services they provide,” Liz Vandendriessche told the outlet in an email, adding that the hospital is working closely with the Joint Commission to address issues. . cited in the report.
“In fact, several of his quotes have already been removed as a result of the information we have provided,” he added.
A spokesman for the Joint Commission did not respond to the newspaper’s requests for comment.
Although it did not refer to Epstein by name, the Joint Commission report said other doctors had filed several complaints against the “department leader,” according to the Washington Post.
The researchers received “multiple comments from pathologists and residents indicating that they did not feel comfortable speaking about ‘intimidating’ or ‘bullying’ behavior by a department leader, indicating that they were forced to change diagnoses, issue addendums and abide by the leader’s wishes over several years, which could cause harm to patients.”
The doctors said they “feared retaliation or professional repercussions if they spoke out,” according to the report, which did not provide specific details about the behavior described as harassment.
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Epstein claimed that when he worked with other pathologists, they showed him difficult cases.
“I was always under the impression that this debate was collegial, professional and conducted in the interest of patient care,” he told the newspaper.
“I have only requested cases to be amended when patients, doctors and pathologists sent them to me specifically for my opinion, and were initially diagnosed by someone else in my absence. Following my review, in a minority of cases I modified them so that patients, in my experience, had the most accurate diagnosis leading to optimal therapy,” he added.
Responding to accusations that he pressured other pathologists to change reports, Epstein said that those with expertise in other fields, such as breast pathology, sometimes showed him difficult prostate or bladder cases.
Epstein confirmed that he has been on paid administrative leave “pending evaluation of my responses to the allegations,” but said he was not interviewed by the Joint Commission nor given the opportunity to comment for its report.
“I have always fulfilled my professional responsibilities and treated all staff, students, trainees, patients, faculty and health care professionals with respect, civility and fairness,” Epstein wrote in the newspaper. “When in a supervisory role, I have tried to resolve differences and advise colleagues and subordinates constructively and privately.”
Epstein, who joined Johns Hopkins in 1985, has written multiple articles on the detection of cancer and other diseases.
In 2003, he was the pathologist who published a report on then-Senator. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), who was competing for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to the outlet.
He said a microscopic examination of tissues near Kerry’s prostate showed the cancer there had not spread.
Johns Hopkins has been ranked among the top five hospitals in the U.S. for the past 33 years, according to U.S. News & World Report.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn