State health officials have restricted the license of a Vancouver physician for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a patient and overmedicating the woman.
The state Department of Health’s Medical Quality Assurance Commission announced Thursday it had immediately restricted the medical license of Dr. Michael W. Gilliland for unprofessional conduct and sexual misconduct. Under the restriction, he cannot treat the patient with whom he had a sexual relationship and can no longer use nerve-block therapy or steroid injections on any patient until the charges are resolved. He has 20 days to respond to the medical commission charges and request a hearing.
Gilliland could not be reached for comment.
Gilliland has been a licensed physician and surgeon in Washington since October 2003. He is a pain management specialist and is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine, according to the state health department.
According to the medical commission’s statement of charges, Gilliland had a close friendship and sexual relationship with a patient for several years, while simultaneously treating her chronic pain. The patient is also a licensed physician, according to the medical commission.
Gilliland allegedly provided the patient with an excessive number of corticosteroid injections, while often inappropriately using high-dose intravenous fentanyl and benzodiazepines for sedation, according to the commission documents.
On some occasions, Gilliland allegedly provided the fentanyl or local anesthetic injections without steroids. He also prescribed the patient a regular regimen of oral opioids and benzodiazepines, according to the documents.
Gilliland administered the medications at high doses without monitoring and without ensuring the patient had someone to drive her home safely, according to the commission.
‘Substantial violation’
Gilliland cared for the woman from August 2007 to October 2013. During that time, he provided the patient with an “overwhelming number of (nerve) block procedures,” which the commission described as a “substantial violation of the standard of care.” The cumulative dose of steroids administered the patient was “extraordinarily high and a substantial violation of the standard of care,” according to the commission.
In addition, the commission said Gilliland’s dual relationship with the patient “violated the appropriate physician-patient boundary, the standard of care and the sexual misconduct rules,” according to the documents.
