Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1335763
45 HEALTHCARE NEWS Oregon suspends license of physician who discouraged mask-wearing By Kelly Gooch A n Oregon physician who publicly spoke out against wearing a mask to slow the spread of COVID-19 has had his medical license suspended, according to e Washington Post. In a written order Dec. 4, the Oregon Medical Board suspend- ed the license of Steven A. LaTulippe, MD, a family medicine physician at South View Medical Arts in Dallas, Ore. e board alleged Dr. LaTulippe engaged in "conduct that is contrary to medical ethics and does or might constitute a danger to the health or safety of the public." It also accused him of "gross negligence." Specific acts cited in the letter include the physician's alleged ad- vice to a Medicaid patient. According to the board, the patient contacted Dr. LaTulippe's medical clinic in July for guidance on COVID-19 and was told asymptomatic people should not be tested, that wearing masks does not prevent virus transmission, and the patient was told not to self-isolate because exposure to others would provide COVID-19 immunity. e board said the patient seeking the guidance from Dr. LaT- ulippe's clinic was terminated as a patient aer questioning the appropriateness of the guidance. e board also claimed workers in Dr. LaTulippe's clinic refuse to wear masks at work and urge people who enter the clinic wearing masks to remove them. Dr. LaTulippe "regularly tells his patients that masks are inef- fective in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and should not be worn"; "directs patients to a YouTube video providing false information about mask-wearing"; and "regularly advises, par- ticularly for his elderly and pediatric patients, that it is 'very dangerous' to wear masks because masks exacerbate [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] and asthma and cause or con- tribute to multiple serious health conditions," according to the board. e Post could not immediately reach Dr. LaTulippe for com- ment Dec. 5. In a recent interview, Dr. LaTulippe told NBC News he believes there is "bad science behind" wearing masks. "I have absolutely zero problems with infectivity, and I have completely successful treatments, so I ask, 'What is the prob- lem?' Why would I be demonized if I know what I'm doing?" he told the news network. e CDC has advocated wearing masks to combat COVID-19. n New Hampshire hospital CEO to step down By Morgan Haefner M aria Ryan, PhD, CEO of Cottage Hospital in Woodsville, N.H., is stepping down from her role in early 2021, according to the Valley News. Dr. Ryan didn't give a reason for her departure. She has helmed the 35-bed hospital for the past decade. She told Cottage Hospital's board on Nov. 19 that she will exit her role Jan. 30. Mark Gleicher, who chairs the hospital's board, credited Dr. Ryan with putting Cottage Hospital in a "good place. Fi- nancially we're in a very strong place. Surprisingly strong. It's crazy." Mr. Gleicher said board members want to ask Dr. Ryan to stay after Jan. 30 to help with the transition process. Dr. Ryan started working at Cottage Hospital in 2006 as chief nursing officer and COO. Outside of CEO duties, Dr. Ryan has been linked to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The two launched a radio show together in New York. In Au- gust, Dr. Ryan attended a Republican National Convention event in Washington, D.C., where she was pictured without a mask next to Mr. Giuliani, according to Valley News. A hos- pital spokesperson told the newspaper that at the time, at- tendees were being tested frequently for COVID-19 and all people at Cottage Hospital wear a mask. n Mercy employee wrongfully viewed medical records: 4 details By Laura Dyrda S t. Louis-based Mercy Health reported a former employee unnecessarily viewed medical records and breached patient information, according to a Dec. 4 announcement. Four details: 1. The former employee accessed patient information in- cluding names, addresses and birth dates. The individual also viewed clinical and radiological information. 2. Mercy discovered the incident on Oct. 7 and launched an investigation and provided additional staff education on in- formation security policies and procedures. 3. The employee who wrongly accessed patient information is no longer employed by Mercy, according to the company. 4. No patient financial information was breached during the incident. n