Tuesday, January 30, 2007

More Harold Hoke badness. Thanks, Tlaloc!

Thanks to Tlaloc for emailing me the documents from the medical board for this! For some reason I couldn't get my browsers to open them in the right program, and I could view only the first or last page!

On November 23, 1973, Hoke performed an abortion even though the pregnancy test was negative. He failed to notify the patient of the negative pregnancy test.

On November 21, 1973, Hoke performed a pelvic exam on a patient, then told her that she was about six weeks pregnant. He also told her that the results of her blood test and urine test confirmed a six week pregnancy. He then sold her an abortion, even though she was not indeed pregnant.

On November 20, 1973, Hoke performed an abortion on a patient who was at least 12 weeks pregnant, likely more than 18 weeks pregnant. He sent her home without any contact for follow up instructions or anybody to contact in an emergency. She had to be hospitalized for complications.

On June 28, 1973, Hoke performed surgery on a patient at Sam Howell Memorial Hospital, "which involved and required surgical opening of her abdomen and other internal surgery," even though he knew she was not properly anesthetized and could feel what was happening to her. After the surgery, he failed to take steps to prevent excessive bleeding, and left the patient without any physician in attendance. They faulted him for abandoning this patient.

In May of 1972, Hoke performed surgery on a patient at Charlotte Memorial Hospital, "ostensibly for the repair of a hernia," even though the woman had no hernia.

The board also faulted Hoke with claiming to the Medical Care Commission, and evidently to his patients, that pathology exams were ordered for all abortion specimens. It turns out that he did not after all have pathology examinations done, which is both fraudulent and medically reckless, since a pathology exam is necessary to ensure that the woman doesn't have retained tissue, which can cause a potentially fatal infection.

The board noted that Hoke made false claims in the brochure he produced to solicit patients for his Hallmark Clinic and Counselling Service. For example, Hoke claimed in the pamphlet, "The Hallmark Clinic is staffed by either Board certified or Board qualified gynecologists who are on the staffs of all three hospitals in Charlotte, N.C.", even though this was not true. The pamphlet also falsely promised that all patients would have a number of tests performed prior to their procedures. The Board in particular noted that Hoke sold many women abortions without performing pregnancy tests.

The Board noted that Hoke retaliated against a person who participated in proceedings that had gotten him suspended from the staff of a hospital, by falsely accusing him or her of theft.

The Board noted that on November 29, 1973, Hoke filed a false report with the police, claiming that somebody was trying to extort money from him in exchange for keeping quiet about his wrongdoing at his clinic. He suborned false testimony from two of his employees to support his false charge.

The Board noted that in February or March of 1972, Hoke had tried to get somebody to falsely accuse somebody of making obscene phone calls.

The Board noted, "Your mental condition renders you unable safely to practice medicine."

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