Physician Sues GU Hospital for Contract Breach, Defamation

Dr. Carlos Gomez, a local physician with a reported history of substance abuse, has filed a $1.25 million lawsuit against Georgetown University Hospital for breach of contract and defamation.

According to The Washington Business Journal, Gomez claims the hospital breached a settlement agreement made after his application for staff privileges, which would have allowed him to treat patients, was denied. The breach of contract and defamation suit alleges that the hospital breached a previous settlement agreement by providing libelous information regarding the hospital’s rejection of Gomez’s staff privilege application to a national database.

“With respect to this matter, we do not believe we have done anything wrong,” Marianne Worley, director of media relations at Georgetown University Hospital, said in regard to the lawsuit.

Representatives of the hospital, which is no longer owned by Georgetown University, declined to comment further on the ongoing litigation. The hospital has been owned by MedStar Health since 2000.

The complaint also states that despite full disclosure of a previous struggle with substance abuse, Gomez was recruited to his position at the hospital, according to The Washington Business Journal.

Neither Gomez nor his lawyers commented on the ongoing litigation.

Gomez, a physician specializing in end-of-life treatment for the terminally ill, is the current medical director of the D.C. Pediatric Palliative Care Collaboration. The organization unites three Washington, D.C., health care organizations to provide care for children and families with terminal and life-threatening illnesses.

The chair of D.C. Pediatric Palliative Care, Karen Smith and the executive director, Susan Rogers, could not be reached for comment.