COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dr. Larry Swanner -- the former Mount Carmel vice president of medical affairs – testified Wednesday that he was “quite alarmed” after learning about the amount of the painkiller fentanyl and the sedative Versed that Dr. William Husel had ordered by given to his patients.
Husel is on trial - accused of killing 14 of his patients. He has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. His legal defense team has said he was “aggressive” with his dosages, but was providing comfort care medications to patients who were either critically ill or dying. The doses, they said, were meant to help the patients avoid suffering or experiencing “a bad death.”
During Wednesday’s testimony, Dr. Larry Swanner said that he first learned of a concern involving Husel’s patient care after another administrator came to him on October 25.
He said he learned of another similar issue with another patient around November 20 who received a similar large dose of fentanyl. While an internal panel of doctors – known as a peer review committee – was investigating concerns of Husel’s patient care, Swanner said he started his own investigation.
Swanner said “I was quite alarmed by that” referring to the dosage amounts ordered by Husel.
It was after learning of a third patient, Melissa Penix, who received a dose of 2,000 micrograms of fentanyl that even more hospital administrators became involved.
Swanner testified that as more investigations were conducted, internal inquiries were run to determine how many physicians were prescribing 500 micrograms or more of fentanyl in the intensive care unit. “Only one,” Swanner responded to a question about how many doctors were doing that.
He later clarified that he was referring to Dr. Husel.
Swanner said he notified Husel on November 26, 2018, that he was being taken off the schedule, he did not need to report to work and that he wouldn’t be treating patients for the time being.
Husel was later fired by the hospital on December 5 after questions were raised over his patient care.
An internal review eventually identified 35 patients who the hospital said received either excessive or potentially fatal doses of medication. This criminal trial only involves 14 of them.
During cross-examination, Husel’s attorney Jose Baez questions were critical of Swanner’s own internal investigation and the hospital’s response – noting that Swanner failed to interview other nurses or pharmacists.
Baez also asked Swanner about the hospital’s response, the crafting of various drafts of video statements and reports that were to be shared with the news media and the public.
Baez referenced a draft memo that was created by an outside consultant hired by the hospital …. that discussed who might be labeled as villains – including Husel.
Baez: “He was supposed to be the villain?”
Swanner: “I don’t recall those details.”
Baez: “you don’t recall making (Husel) the villain?”
Swanner: “I recall the message that he ordered and prescribed these excessive doses. I don’t recall saying that he is being called a villain per se.”
The hospital said it stopped working with the outside consultant who helped draft that memo.
Those memos that referenced “villain” were not made public, nor were additional videos that Swanner said he participated in with former CEO Ed Lamb.
At least two videos involving Lamb were distributed – one to employees and another to news media - those apologized to the families for what the hospital called a tragedy.
Swanner said he was terminated by Mount Carmel Health System in July of 2019. It was around that time that the hospital also terminated 23 nurses, pharmacists and administrators tied to the patient dosing scandal.
Swanner and former pharmacist Sean O’Connell, have been among the former administrators who testified thus far. Former pharmacist Talon Schroyer also testified he was let go from the hospital. He testified that he raised concerns about Husel’s doses in October of 2018.