Incident 33687

Dr. William Husel is accused of giving “excessive doses” of fentanyl to at least 34 patients at Mount Carmel West hospital in Columbus, as well as Mount Carmel St. Ann’s.

Mt Carmel hospital fired doctor William Husel in December, saying he ordered the medication for at least 34 patients. Many of those patients died after being administered the drugs.

Earlier this week, Husel was named in a wrongful death lawsuit against the health system from the family of Melissa Penix, who died Nov. 20, 2018 after receiving 2,000 micrograms of fentanyl. The lawsuit alleges “Whittey was aware of inappropriate and unsafe prescribing, approving, and administering of Fentanyl” and says she “failed to take action to prevent such inappropriate Fentanyl use from reoccurring.”

Husel was removed from patient care the day after Penix died.

“Only after Melissa Penix’s life was terminated, did Mount Carmel take any steps to prevent Dr. Husel’s actions from harming any further patients,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also names Mount Carmel Health System, pharmacist Janet Whittey, pharmacist Gregory White, and nurse Wesley Black.

So far, 13 wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against Mount Carmel, Husel, and other employees by the families of Husel’s patients. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid last week placed Mount Carmel in “immediate jeopardy” of losing federal funding, and has requested the hospital submit a corrective action plan.

Husel’s medical license was suspended last month by the State Medical Board of Ohio. According to the Columbus Dispatch in a January, 2021 article,  Husel is awaiting trial on 25 counts of murder.