PHOENIX — The Arizona Medical Board is recommending that its members should dismiss a case against a doctor who oversaw the care of a vulnerable woman who was raped and gave birth at Hacienda Health Care.
On the agenda for an upcoming June 3 meeting, the medical board has listed Dr. Thanh Nguyen on a list of cases recommended for dismissal.
Medical Board Executive Director Patricia McSorely declined to comment, citing confidentiality laws.
Healthcare workers at Hacienda claimed that they did not know the 29-year-old victim was pregnant until she gave birth unexpectedly on December 29, 2018.
Nathan Sutherland, a nurse at Hacienda, was arrested and charged with raping the woman. Police said a DNA match connected Sutherland to the crime.
In January, Hacienda announced that Nguyen and another doctor would no longer be providing medical services to patients at their facilities.
The State of Arizona's Healthcare Cost System (AHCCCS) also released a Notice of Suspension against Nguyen.
The document states, Dr. Thanh Nguyen was suspended because they believe one or more patients would be endangered if left in Nguyen's care. The Notice also states the doctor failed to comply with federal or state laws or regulations.
At the time, officials said the suspension would remain in place until further investigation. It wasn’t immediately clear Tuesday if that investigation was still ongoing.
A representative for AHCCCS says there’s no change in the status of Nguyen’s suspension as an AHCCCS provider.
An attorney for the victim, John Micheaels, declined to comment about Nguyen’s medical board case.
