Joseph Stalfire III, MD, a surgeon at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, is suing a fellow physician for allegedly submitting false medical board complaints in an attempt to get him fired, according to an April 5 report from Medscape.
Dr. Stalfire claims that Ming Hsieh, MD, harmed his career through defamation and intentional emotional distress. Dr. Stalfire has worked at Kaiser in Oregon for more than 20 years, serving as regional chief surgical officer.
Dr. Stalfire also named Kaiser affiliate Northwest Permanente as a defendant in the case, claiming that Kaiser failed to take action after he filed complaints with human resources. He is seeking $1.2 million in economic damages and $300,000 in noneconomic damages.