Syracuse surgeon accused of slapping anesthetized patients

A CMS investigation accuses a physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, N.Y., of slapping anesthetized patients on the buttocks and calling them derogatory names before surgery, Syracuse.com reports.

 

The CMS report does not name the physician, but a complaint filed in January with the state Health Department identifies him as Michael T. Clarke, an orthopedic surgeon, according to Syracuse.com. The slapping and other inappropriate behavior allegedly went on for a year until a complaint was filed with hospital administration in December. The hospital now faces possible termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The Onondaga County District Attorney’s office is investigating Clarke for possible criminal conduct.

 

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