Hospital, doc face 9th suit over patient deaths, drug doses

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new wrongful-death lawsuit alleges an Ohio hospital patient was given a lethal painkiller overdose weeks after concern was raised about the doctor who ordered the medication.

It’s the ninth lawsuit against the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System, now-fired Dr. William Husel (HYOO’-suhl), and pharmacists and nurses accused of wrongly approving and administering the drugs.

Mount Carmel found Husel ordered potentially fatal doses for at least 28 patients. That’s under investigation.

The hospital acknowledged Husel worked for weeks after concern was raised in October. It says three patients died during that span after receiving excessive doses.

Attorney Timothy Mahler says one was 75-year-old Columbus resident Rebecca Walls, whose Nov. 19 death prompted the lawsuit filed Thursday.

Husel’s lawyers aren’t commenting.

Twenty-three pharmacists, nurses and managers are on leave pending investigation.