William Husel, DO, the physician accused of ordering potentially fatal painkiller doses for at least 34 near-death patients, did not meet training requirements for clinical privileges at Columbus, Ohio-based Mount Carmel Health System, an unnamed source told CBS affiliate WBNS 10 TV.
Dr. Husel only met two out of the four educational training requirements to work as a critical intensivist at the hospital, according to the source, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear the health system would retaliate.
Dr. Husel completed a fellowship in critical care but did not complete a required residency in internal medicine, according to records submitted to the state medical board. However, Mount Carmel still hired him as a critical care intensivist in 2013 after seeking an outside legal opinion about his medical experience.
"Dr. William Husel successfully completed a critical care fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and met Mount Carmel's qualifications for appointment as a critical care specialist in our intensive care unit," the system said in a statement to WBNS 10 TV.
Mount Carmel fired Dr. Husel Dec. 5 after learning of the fatal medication doses, and the State Medical Board of Ohio suspended his license Jan. 25. The physician and system face more than two dozen lawsuits over the patient deaths.