Texas Physician Pleads Guilty in Whistle-Blowing Nurses Case.
Medscape carries news of the whistleblowing nurses in TX, Anne Mitchell and Vickilyn Galle. These two faced all sorts of harassment and even a trial for their part in revealing evidence of malpractice by one Dr. Rolando Arafiles.
The trial of Ann Mitchell RN, for supposed misuse of official information, resulted in aquittal.
On November 7, Arafiles pleaded guilty to misuse of official info, and retaliation against whistleblowers. He admits to co opting help from the local sheriff and county attorney in going after the nurses.
On Nov 4th Arafiles surrendered his Texas state medical license, rather than having it revoked by the Medical Board.
Nurses Mitchell and Galle also won the settlement of a civil suit against Arafiles, Sheriff Robert Roberts, Attorney Scott Tidwell, hospital administrator Stan Wiley. The size of this settlement could have allowed the nurses to take off work for perhaps five to ten years depending on their standards of living, were it not for the many costs of sudden unemployment and legal troubles that were incurred for doing their jobs. All four of these individuals, named in the suit, also were sentenced to jail time for their offenses.
Nice job girls!