Doc’s lawyer won’t discuss investigation in hospital deaths

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A lawyer for an Ohio doctor under investigation in connection with dozens of hospital deaths says they’re waiting to receive relevant records from the hospital as local authorities review the matter.

Attorney Richard Blake said Friday it would be inappropriate for him to discuss details about Dr. William Husel’s (HYOO’-suhls) situation.

The Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System says it found the intensive care doctor ordered potentially fatal doses of pain medicine for at least 28 patients. Husel was fired in December.

Some families are questioning whether hospital employees wrongly used drugs to hasten patients’ deaths. Husel and the hospital face at least 14 wrongful-death lawsuits, including one filed Thursday over the February 2015 death of 75-year-old Emma Bogan (BOH’-gan).

Mount Carmel publicly apologized and put 23 other employees on leave.