State suspends Seattle doctor's license

State health officials have suspended the medical license of a Seattle doctor accused of negligence, incompetence and malpractice in the treatment of four patients at a small, rural hospital in Pend Oreille County last July.

The order — and immediate suspension — is reserved for cases in which health officials believe a doctor's conduct puts patients in imminent danger.

The state Department of Health signed the order Wednesday, and Dr. George Mathew, 46, was notified that he must stop practicing medicine Thursday, according to his attorney.

Mathew "vehemently denies" the allegations and will both challenge the suspension and request a hearing to present his side of the story, Seattle lawyer Jeff Coopersmith said.

This is the second time Mathew has faced sanctions for his conduct. He is still under probation for misconduct charges filed in 2005.

Mathew, who has an office in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood, was working as a temporary doctor in the hospital's emergency room July 4 and 5, 2007, according to the statement of charges issued by the health department's Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

The name of the hospital is not specified in the documents, but Coopersmith said it was Newport Community Hospital in Newport, Pend Oreille County.

According to the charges:

• Mathew allegedly failed to treat a 69-year-old man who was suffering a heart attack. The man spent about seven hours in the ER while Mathew was asleep in the doctor's lounge.

• Mathew allegedly failed to stitch up the severely lacerated leg of a 27-year-old woman; he planned to discharge her but another doctor was called in to treat her wound.

• He allegedly ignored the severely lacerated lip of a 49-year-old woman who suffered a fall. Another doctor had to intervene and sent her to a plastic surgeon at another hospital.

• When a 60-year-old man arrived at the hospital complaining of blood in his vomit and stool, Mathew allegedly ignored him for six hours until another doctor came on shift.

The hospital quickly suspended Mathew's privileges to work there.

Since then, Mathew has worked in ERs at other hospitals, Coopersmith said.

Coopersmith questioned why it took a year to issue the suspension. Assistant Attorney General Kim O'Neal said the state needs time to learn about and investigate misconduct allegations, then present evidence to two separate panels before an order is issued.

In 2005, Mathew — who has also used the name George Mathioudakis — was sanctioned for providing prescriptions over the Internet to patients he never saw face-to-face. He also failed to keep medical records for three men who were prescribed narcotics, according to state documents.

He avoided suspension of his license by agreeing to a number of conditions, including that he only practice emergency-room medicine.

Immediately suspending a doctor's license "is a serious act the [medical] commission doesn't take lightly," O'Neal said.

If the allegations are proven, O'Neal said, Mathew could face discipline ranging from additional training to revocation of his medical license.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com