James Manazer, MD, is suing Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Regional Medical Center alleging defamation and wrongful termination after he reported alleged concerns about a cardiac procedure, NBC affiliate WCMH reported July 27.
Dr. Manazer, who was chief of surgery at the hospital, was one of the news station's several anonymous sources who said a physician performed transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures before earning necessary credentials, the report said. His lawsuit alleges a memo shared with hospital staff falsely said he "admitted to providing an interview to NBC4 that relayed false and defamatory information about Adena and its physicians." Dr. Manazer also alleged that hospital executives asked him to share false information with reporters about the incidents.
Dr. Manazer and two other employees were fired in May after sharing information that criticized the hospital and some staff over instances of harassment and misconduct. He was fired after interviewing with WCMH.
A spokesperson for Adena Health said in a July 28 email to Becker's that the hospital couldn't provide comment on the lawsuit but "we stand by our previous assertion that both physicians who performed the March 2022 TAVR procedure were fully credentialed and privileged to do so."