ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Three former employees of Orange Park Medical Center are making scathing allegations about the hospital and suing for hundreds of millions of dollars.
In lawsuits filed in federal court Friday and Monday against OPMC and its parent company, HCA South Atlantic, a doctor, a registered nurse and a a nurse practitioner allege the untimely deaths of patients, widespread medical malpractice, race-based discrimination and even false imprisonment.
In the first suit, former OPMC Dr. Purvin Shah claims he hasn't been able to find another job since resigning from the hospital last spring. Shah claims he is a whistle blower and is asking for $300 million in damages.
Shah said he was labeled a disruptive physician, which he claims is why he can't find another job.
"Anytime you're a whistle blower in the medical profession, it basically destroys your career. It's professional-career suicide," Shah said.
Shah's lawsuit even says at one point while he was working in the emergency room at OPMC, "This hospital is killing patients."
Shah says the hospital's problems got really bad in the last two years.
"Recently the patient-care compromising was getting too much," Shah said. "Over (the) last couple years, patients were not being cared for appropriately; being neglected; being misdiagnosed where serious diagnosis were missed completely."
The other two lawsuits have their own set of allegations. A suit filed by a registered nurse claims there's a "lack of adequate security in the emergency room, specifically in the 'Baker Act Hall.'"
This comes after a News4Jax story earlier this month about a brutal attack on one patient by another patient in the behavioral health wing at OPMC.
The lawsuit by the nurse practitioner claims she was unlawfully retaliated against and, "Subjected to an unlawful assault and a violent/hostile work environment."
COURT DOCUMENTS: Purvin Shah vs. HCA
The attorney for all three lawsuits, Eric Jones, said there will be at least three more lawsuits against OPMC filed in the next few days.
"There may be up to five or six lawsuits; never know," Johns said, acknowledging he has three more ready to be filed.
"If that many, more than one person says a specific thing is happening, obviously it's true," Jones said. "It appears these nurses and Dr. Shah has gotten sick and tired of bad care and untimely deaths and they're doing something about it."
David Goldberg, director of Marketing and Public Relations for Orange Park Medical Center sent this statement:
"We disagree with the allegations and will defend ourselves vigorously in a court of law. It is important to note that Orange Park Medical Center is committed to delivering the highest quality patient care and has been recognized by the Joint Commission as a Top Performer on key quality measures for three years in a row, a distinction achieved by only 4% of hospitals nationwide. Orange Park Medical Center has more than 1,500 employees and 750 physicians on staff who are proud of the quality care Orange Park provides and the commitment to our community, with more than $17 million in charity care and $200,000 given to non-profit charities this past year alone."