Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Long Trail Of Allegations Against USC Gynecologist Has Many Asking, 'Why Wasn't Something Done Sooner?'
Los Angeles Times: Students Warned USC About Gynecologist Early In His Career: ‘They Missed An Opportunity To Save A Lot Of Other Women’
After an appointment with Dr. George Tyndall in 1995, USC undergraduate Alexis Rodriguez wrote a letter of complaint on a typewriter in the English department. The gynecologist, she recalled writing, had a Playboy magazine on his desk, used a scalpel on a vaginal abscess without anesthetic and, when she objected, marked her chart with the word "difficult." A student health clinic administrator sent back a letter, apologizing and pledging to remove the notation from her chart, Rodriguez said. It would be 21 years before the university forced Tyndall out of the clinic. (Ryan and Hamilton, 5/23)
The Washington Post: Pressure Mounts On USC President To Resign After Scandals
On Wednesday, the executive committee of the board of trustees announced it was appointing a special committee that would hire outside counsel to investigate the misconduct and reporting failures at USC. “The behavior exhibited by the former physician was reprehensible,” the trustees wrote, “and we will hold people accountable if we find they failed to report or take action to ensure the well-being and safety of patients and students. To those affected, we are deeply sorry.” The chairman of the board expressed strong support for the school’s president Tuesday. The trustees’ executive committee has full confidence in the “leadership, ethics and values” of USC President C.L. Max Nikias, the board’s chairman John Mork said in a statement, “and is certain that he will successfully guide our community forward.” (Svrluga, 5/23)
Reuters: China Seeks Investigation Into University Of Southern California Abuse Accusations
The Chinese government has expressed "deep concern" over published reports that a University of Southern California gynecologist was allowed for years to treat students, many of them from China, despite accusations of sexual abuse and harassment. The Los Angeles Times reported this week that Dr. George Tyndall, 71, resigned from USC last year after an internal investigation at the university found he performed unnecessary or unprofessional physical exams and made inappropriate comments to some of the young women in his care. (Whitcomb, 5/23)
