Washington state's Medical Quality Assurance Commission reinstated, with restrictions, the medical license of Johnny Delashaw Jr., MD, the former chairman of the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle, on July 5, according to The Seattle Times.
The commission ruled Dr. Delashaw would see his license reinstated under several conditions, including submitting to three years of oversight, agreeing to be evaluated for disruptive behavior and complying with those recommendations, and paying a $10,000 fine. He is also banned from holding a position of medical leadership.
The July 5 order noted Dr. Delashaw's behavior "negatively affected the culture of safety, ultimately replacing it with a culture of fear" and "led to a compromise of team effectiveness and, as a result, an unreasonable risk of patient harm," the report states. The commission also found his actions led to an exodus of experienced nurses, further compromising patient safety.
The MQAC summarily suspended Dr. Delashaw's license in May 2017. He appealed the suspension and argued his case during a nine-day hearing earlier this year.
In an email to The Seattle Times, a lawyer for Dr. Delashaw said he was "gratified that his license has been reinstated and that he will be able to resume his life's work."
Dr. Delashaw resigned from his post at Swedish Health in May 2017, roughly three weeks after The Seattle Times published an investigation into the health system documenting a range of concerns about patient care and surgical practices at the institution.
Dr. Delashaw filed a lawsuit against The Seattle Times and a former Swedish Health colleague in April, accusing both entities of libel and defamation. The Seattle Times asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit in June.