The Ohio Board of Medicine is investigating rape allegationsagainst a former Cleveland Clinic colorectal surgeon following a USA TODAY story published earlier this month and has subpoenaed Cleveland Clinic medical records for other procedures done by the surgeon.
A USA TODAY investigation found the hospital knew about two alleged rape cases against Ryan Williams but kept him on staff while they reached a confidential settlement.
Williams is accused of raping two women in 2008 and 2009, but he was never charged with a crime in either case.
Now, surgeon Tomislav Mihaljevic, who started as the clinic's CEO in January, is now the chair of a "conduct review" committee that was established after the USA TODAY article was published.
Chris Forshey, the medical board's investigations supervisor, interviewed a woman last week who suspects she could have been assaulted and asked to remain anonymous, according to USA TODAY.
The Ohio medical board doesn't confirm or deny investigations, and will not comment further, spokesperson Tessie Pollock told USA TODAY.
Tessie Pollock, of the State Medical Board of Ohio, released the following statement to News 5.
The State Medical Board of Ohio takes claims of sexual impropriety by licensees very seriously. The medical board has had a specific set of rules dealing specifically with the issue of sexual misconduct and these rules have been in place since 2006. In addition, the board refers matters to law enforcement and works with the law enforcement agency if possible. Having sufficient evidence to move forward to a formal action is always difficult in these matters. In addition, the confidentiality laws that protect the identity of the individuals involved prevent the Board from sharing details regarding investigations that did not lead to a formal action. The Medical Board is always reviewing its laws, procedures and policies to determine the potential for improvement in meeting its mission to protect the public. The medical board encourages anyone with information regarding potential violations of law committed by licensees to report that to the board through its confidential, on-line complaint process [med.ohio.gov]. In addition, all hospitals are required to report any privilege sanctions to the Board and all licensees are required to report any potential violation of law by another licensee.
