| A Grantsville physician, Elias Khoury, has been removed from probation by the West Virginia Board of Medicine.
"Dr. Khoury has complied with the conditions of his probation and is no longer under probationary status," according to Ellen Biggs, legal counsel with the medical board.
"He is no longer under restrictions as of July 29, 2003," said Biggs.
Khoury's license was suspended for two years on July 30, 2001, but the suspension was stayed and he was placed on probation. "Dr. Khoury's practice failed to meet the standard of care," said the medical board.
Dr. Khoury was also suspended in 1992 for two years. That suspension was stayed and he was placed on two-year probation, related to "unprofessional conduct." The details of this case have been expunged from his record, said Biggs.
The medical board records show that Dr. Khoury has been involved in numerous malpractice suits, including two which apparently ended in death.
In what may have been the largest malpractice case in Calhoun, the court awarded the estate of Loretta Newell, 42, nearly $500,000 following her death in 1990 for the physician's "alleged failure to admit a patient with cardiac problems."
Newell had gone to Calhoun General Hospital complaining of chest pains, and she was sent home. She died shortly, thereafter.
The physician was suspended from privileges at Roane General Hospital in Spencer because they said he failed to report some of his malpractice suits, in addition to quality of care issues. The State Board of Medicine reacted to complaints filed by the hospital.
Dr. Khoury, having met the conditions of his probation, can now practice "a full range" of medicine under which his license permits, said the board.
When information was published regarding Dr. Khoury's status in 2001, he complained "Some American journalists have the bad habit of throwing stones at good people before they get the full details of the situation. They do this to impress their readers and listeners....all my patients in the last 10 years were treated with
competence and compassion and had good outcomes."
"My patients still have confidence in my skill despite the criticism and our practice continues to grow bigger and stronger - thanks to my patients and God," he said.
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