The family practitioner, William John Stefanich, is fighting the accusations and said the charges are baseless and could unfairly ruin his reputation.
“I can refute everything the medical board is saying,” he said this week. “They got the facts wrong. This is just an angry patient.”
The second case, which took place in February 1997, involved a male patient with irregular bowel discharges who sought treatment advice from Stefanich. The board’s citation said the doctor did not perform appropriate tests, instead prescribing an anti-inflammatory drug.
Two weeks later, that patient visited the emergency room, where surgeons diagnosed him with a severely damaged colon. They removed the organ and part of his small intestine, and gave him an external colostomy bag.
Lauren Lubow, spokeswoman for the state medical board, said investigators opted to file formal charges against Stefanich based on their research, which indicated inappropriate actions and decisions in both cases.
Stefanich said the board erred in its investigation and ignored his explanations. He has requested a hearing before the board to contest the charges and said he will detail his version of events then.
The female patient did file suit against Stefanich in Licking County Common Pleas Court in 1998 seeking damages. But after 17 months, that suit was dismissed at the request of both sides.
Stefanich said that dismissal shows her case has no real merit, and said he will be vindicated in the medical board’s other case, as well.
“Anybody can turn to the medical board and charge something,” he said. “But they cannot substantiate these charges.”