Seven patients have been identified by lawyers, and four lawsuits have been filed in an investigation involving a former Columbus, Ohio-based Mount Carmel Health System physician accused of ordering potentially fatal painkiller doses, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Mount Carmel said William Husel, MD, was fired and six pharmacists and 14 nurses were put on leave after an investigation found at least 27 near-death patients received the overdoses from 2015 to 2018. All of the patients died.
Dr. Husel had worked as an intensive care physician at the system since 2013.
At least seven patients have been identified by lawyers who have filed or plan to file lawsuits in their deaths.
Identified Jan. 22 by attorney Gerald Leeseberg were 80-year-old James George Allen, who died in May, and 39-year-old James Nickolas Timmons, who died in October.
Also on Jan. 22, attorney David Shroyer said a lawsuit was filed against Mount Carmel, Dr. Husel and others in the death of 65-year-old Jan Thomas, who was identified the week of Jan. 13. It is the fourth lawsuit filed from the investigation.
The Ohio Department of Health is investigating the claims for CMS. The Franklin County (Ohio) prosecutor's office and Columbus police also are investigating.