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Nurse Amputated Foot for Taxidermy Shop? Guilty Plea in Doctor's Forklift Death

— A weekly roundup of healthcare's encounters with the courts

MedpageToday
Legal Break over a blindfolded Lady Justice statue holding scales.

A nurse allegedly and said she would take it to her family's taxidermy shop to put it on display, her coworkers recalled. The nursing home where she worked, however, said she did the unauthorized procedure for the man's "dignity and comfort." Mary K. Brown, RN, was charged with two felonies: mayhem, and intentionally causing great bodily harm to an elderly person. (Washington Post)

Oregon physician Christy Horton, MD, was involving her three Great Danes and 11 horses. (KEZI)

The University of California (UC) will pay $6 million to the family of 7-year-old Damon Davila to settle claims that UC San Francisco doctors with a cannula meant to remain in his airway. The puncture led to cardiac arrest, leaving the boy with permanent brain, heart, and lung damage. (San Francisco Chronicle)

A Connecticut woman who created for 14 people was sentenced to 3 years of probation and will have to pay $5,000, as well as perform 200 hours of community service. (Hartford Courant)

Hawaii family physician Curtis Bekkum, MD, was sentenced to for sexually assaulting a woman by inappropriately touching her during a home visit to provide medical care. (Maui News)

California physician Thomas Keller, MD, was convicted after he allegedly gave to a patient who didn't need the drugs and who subsequently died of an overdose. (Mercury News)

New Jersey psychiatrist Amir Rizvi, MD, and its clinical director, alleging that he faces being fired for speaking up about "perilous conditions" and "untenable practices" at the facility. (Princeton Patch)

A former military contractor pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after he struck and killed Air Force doctor Kelliann Leli, MD, while driving a forklift. Ari Taylor allegedly was distracted while using his cellphone and had 9 seconds to prevent the crash but didn't, .

A British court found that Heather Steen, MD, tried to who died in 1996 allegedly due to an overdose of fluids and medication caused by negligent care. (BBC News)

are alleging that they were sexually abused by Florida doctor Scott Hollington, MD, who was recently indicted for charges that include illegally distributing prescription drugs in exchange for sexual favors and running a pill mill. (News4JAX)

Former physician John Keun Sang Lee, MD, pleaded guilty to fraud after allegedly submitting claims to Medicare and Medicaid for steroid injections that weren't medically necessary. Former patients and employees said Lee gave patients the injections even when they reported they weren't helping and caused more pain and other injuries, .

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    Kristina Fiore leads MedPage’s enterprise & investigative reporting team. She’s been a medical journalist for more than a decade and her work has been recognized by Barlett & Steele, AHCJ, SABEW, and others. Send story tips to k.fiore@medpagetoday.com.