By Sharon Salyer
Herald Writer
State investigators have charged a Mill Creek doctor with having sexual contact with two female patients at his clinic last year.
The doctor, Jeffrey R. Merrill, has been banned from treating female patients until an administrative hearing can be held by a state board that disciplines doctors.
"The allegations are completely false," said Merrill’s attorney, Patrick Sheldon. "We are going to deny all these allegations and fight this vigorously.
"Unfortunately, due to patient confidentiality issues, we are constrained about what we can talk about," he added.
State investigators allege that Merrill had physical and sexual contact with one patient on June 27, 2000, and sexual contacts with another patient on July 18. Neither patient was identified. State documents say both were female and did not know each other. One is described as married.
Sexual intercourse is alleged to have occurred with one of the patients, said Lisa Pigott, program manager for the state’s Medical Quality Assurance Commission, the professional licensing and disciplinary agency investigating the charges.
Merrill, who has been a licensed physician in Washington since 1994, worked at Mill Creek Family Practice, one of seven clinics owned by Stevens Hospital in Edmonds.
"As soon as (the) Mill Creek (clinic) heard about this situation, they initiated an investigation," said hospital spokeswoman Beth Engle.
Merrill was put on a leave of absence on May 10, she said. He has not worked at the clinic since then and was officially terminated July 10, she added.
Engle said she could not elaborate on why he was terminated. Merrill currently is unemployed, Sheldon said.
Merrill has not yet formally requested a hearing on the matter, Pigott said. He may either request a prompt hearing, which could be held in early August, or ask for a regular hearing, which could take two to three months, she said.
You can call Herald Writer Sharon Salyer at 425-339-3486
or send e-mail to salyer@heraldnet.com.
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