Former physician Mendel Gordin, MD, surrendered his medical license after he was accused of making inappropriate comments to several patients and misdiagnosing one of them, The Bellingham Herald reported May 10.
Dr. Gordin retired as a physician before surrendering his license and will not be allowed to renew, reactivate or practice as a retired physician in Washington state, including in any temporary, emergency or volunteer capacity.
The Washington Medical Commission accused Dr. Gordin of unprofessional conduct after two separate complaints had been filed against him from patients he saw in 2021 and 2022, according to state health department records obtained by the publication.
Both complaints alleged Dr. Gordin had made inappropriate comments to patients, with one patient alleging he also seemed to go in and out of consciousness throughout the visit and spoke about another patient's information within earshot.
The second patient claimed she was misdiagnosed by Dr. Gordin as well.
The commission then sent him a letter asking him to provide an explanation and medical records for the incident with the second patient within 21 days. Dr. Gordin did not follow through on either of the commission's requests.
In April, he entered into a stipulated informal disposition with the commission following its formal accusations. The stipulation is not considered formal disciplinary action or a finding of unprofessional conduct or inability to practice.
He will practice administrative medicine for a short period to close his practice and refer patients to other physicians. He will not undergo any further punishment from the commission as part of the stipulation agreement.