Seventeen months after she was terminated from her position, a former Stamford (Conn.) Hospital anesthesiologist has filed a lawsuit against her former employer for discrimination and sexual harassment, according to the Stamford Advocate.
Samantha Jansson, MD, sued Stamford Hospital in state Superior Court, claiming physicians and administrators conspired against her after she voiced concerns that the anesthesiologists hired for the hospital's cardiac program were inexperienced, according to the report. The lawsuit has since been moved to federal court.
Here are 5 things to know about Dr. Jansson's lawsuit.
1. In her 46-page complaint, Dr. Jansson said she was fired after a number of interactions with one physician in particular, Michael Coady, MD, who she said treated employees at the hospital, including herself, with extreme disrespect. Dr. Jansson had been working at Stamford Hospital since 2007.
2. After expressing concerns over the safety of the patients in her unit due to the inexperience of new anesthesiologists, Dr. Jansson said she was left out of the interview process for new hires with Dr. Coady and Theresa Bowling, MD, the recruiter for the hospital's department of anesthesiology.
3. Her complaints were not received well at subsequent meetings. A Stamford Hospital attorney informed Dr. Jansson complaints had been raised against her for not being engaged with patients, speaking too loudly and not sitting right next to her patients' heads during surgery. Dr. Jansson cited a hearing problem for her loud speaking volume and said she was protecting herself from radiation by sitting behind a lead shield a few feet from patients' heads during surgery, according to the report.
Dr. Jansson was told by the same attorney she would have to undergo an evaluation and enroll in a counseling program, one that Dr. Jansson believed was for disruptive staff.
4. In addition to Drs. Coady and Bowling, Dr. Jansson is also suing Sal Mancino, head of the hospital's human relations department; Sharon Kiely, MD, the hospital's CMO; Stamford Anesthesiology Services; and VantagePoint HealthCare Advisors.
5. Dr. Jansson also alleges Dr. Coady sexually harassed her and other female hospital workers, claiming he referred to women by a number of derogatory names. She also said he made negative remarks regarding their ethnicity, race and disabilities, that he regularly swore at women in the operating room and bragged about getting female employees fired without letting it be known he was responsible, according to the report.