|
|
|
Former area doctor may have traded scalpel for gun
|
By MARLA TONCRAY
|
A doctor who worked at Meadowview Regional Medical Center for a short time was arrested in August for the armed robbery of a bank in Austin, Texas.
According to reports by CBS affiliate Channel 42 KEYE, John Christian Gunn, 44, allegedly robbed a Regions Bank around 11:05 a.m., on Aug. 29 in north Austin. Channel 42 news reports said Gunn was wearing a gas mask when he entered the bank, and demanded money while waving a gun at the tellers inside the bank.
According to Austin Police officials, Gunn got away with an undisclosed amount of money before his arrest less than an hour later at a South Austin Car Wash located 18 miles away from where the robbery occurred.
Witnesses told CBS 42 news more than a dozen officers rushed to the scene and arrested Gunn, who was charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Calls to Channel 42 new reporter Deke Jones, assignments manager for CBS 42 for more information on the status of Gunn's arrest were not returned by press time Wednesday night.
Gunn's tie to Maysville and its medical community was brief, according to Lexington attorney Robert Houlihan Jr., who is representing an Aberdeen family in a wrongful death lawsuit against Lifepoint Hospital Inc, the parent company of Meadowview Regional Medical Center. Houlihan also represented the family in a lawsuit against Gunn, which has been settled.
"Yes, I've seen a picture of him ... it looks like the same guy to me," Houlihan said Wednesday when asked if the man in the photograph on the CBS 42 Web site is the same man named as a defendant in his lawsuit. Gunn's date of birth was confirmed as Dec. 24, 1963, the same birth date as the bank robber in Austin.
According to Houlihan, Gunn was issued temporary privileges to perform surgery at MRMC in September 2005.
Current MRMC CEO Chad Patrick said Thursday he had no comment on the situation.
Gunn began performing surgery at the hospital on Oct. 1, 2005, and by January 2006, those privileges had been revoked by Meadowview Regional Medical Center. Houlihan said Gunn left the area shortly thereafter, with his rights to practice medicine in Kentucky revoked by an emergency order issued by the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensor. The order stated Gunn wouldn't practice medicine in Kentucky until he had been retrained.
According to Houlihan, Gunn performed four surgeries which threatened the lives of patients and in one case, caused the death of one patient.
On Nov. 15, Gunn allegedly left a patient under anesthesia for an hour and a half, while arguing with a colleague; Nov. 21, Gunn performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy, gall bladder removal, in which the main gall bladder duct was clipped on Anna Barry; the same surgery was performed, with the same outcome on Nov. 22, on a James Adams; and on Dec. 6, Gunn performed carotid artery surgery on Herberta "Bertie" Lang, in which the artery was severed and Lang had to be airlifted to Lexington for medical care, Houlihan said Wednesday.
Houlihan represents Jerome "Jerry" Lang in the wrongful death of his wife "Bertie" Lang, who died Dec. 8, 2005, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lexington following complications of surgery.
In court records filed at the Mason County Circuit Clerk's office, Adams and Barry also have lawsuits pending against Meadowview Hospital. Barry also named Gunn, Loving and Lone Star Surgery Center in her suit. All three civil cases are pending in Mason County Circuit Court.
The case of Jerome Lang versus Lifepoint Hospital Inc. was scheduled for a jury trial on Nov. 3, 2008, but has been delayed due to a schedule conflict with the judge in the case, Lewis D. Nicholls, who has been out of town for a family medical emergency.
Houlihan said a hearing will take place Friday, Oct. 10, to reset the trial date.
A lawsuit tells only one side of an issue.
According to sources at Channel 42, Gunn has a Texas medical license, which is shown as being "active, but not practicing at this time."
Gunn is a 1997 graduate of Yale University; served his general surgical residency at Wayne State in Detroit and his fellowship at Loyola University, Houlihan said. Gunn failed his General Surgery Board examinations in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Weller said information on board status of a doctor is available only through subpoena and was not available to MRMC at the time Gunn was considered for employment at the facility.
Gunn came to Maysville from Hillsboro, Texas, where he was employed with Hillsboro Regional Hospital.
Contact Marla Toncray at marla.toncray@lee.net or 606-564-9091, ext. 275.
For more area news, go to www.maysville-online.com. |
|
|
Reader Comments
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.
mrstjbhotmail.com wrote on Oct 17, 2008 6:46 AM: " Just the facts - I think its interesting that after reading that article the only thing you found to be "negligent" was the newspaper. "
Just the facts wrote on Oct 13, 2008 8:48 AM: " "Where" - THIS IS A FACT - This doctor was NOT employed at the hospital. The newspaper did not even look in to the privilging process before printing this article. The facts are the facts and the newspaper was negligent in not finding those out before printing this article. "
agree mwith just the facts wrote on Oct 11, 2008 12:23 AM: " Come on Ledger. Don't you all ever or can you ever get the story right. We will still read it. We just want true articles. "
Where wrote on Oct 11, 2008 12:10 AM: " If Dr. Gunn was never employed at the facility, how and where did he do the surgeries? Did he just walk in off the streets and start doing surgery? Maybe you poster 'just the facts' had best get your facts straight. "
Just the facts... wrote on Oct 10, 2008 9:51 AM: " Dr. Gunn was never "employed at the facility." Can you get the facts straight BEFORE printing articles?????? "
Add your own comments:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jobs
Homes
Cars
Print Ads