Medical Board Sues Officials at Two Hospitals : Health: The rare action is taken because both facilities allegedly refused to provide information on problem doctors.

In an unusual move, the Medical Board of California has sued chief officials at two Orange County hospitals, accusing them of failing to provide information about two problem doctors.

One of the cases involves a physician at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, who was suspended because the doctor’s behavior was “so erratic that the physician was considered to be a danger to both employees and patients,” according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court.

The other case involves a doctor who was denied staff privileges at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana because he made “misrepresentations and omissions” in his application, according to the suit.

When a hospital denies or restricts a doctor’s privileges to practice, it must file a report with the state. These reports are considered red flags and often prompt state investigations. Because some hospitals have failed to cooperate, the board has become increasingly aggressive in pursuing the reports.

Still, it is “rare for the medical board to sue hospitals,” said Heidi Weisbaum, the deputy state attorney general handling the case for the board. “It’s not at all common.”

The lawsuit alleges officials at both hospitals filed the legally required reports but failed to provide the state with supporting evidence used by the hospital.

In the Mission Hospital case, state investigators asked for information and documents concerning the doctor’s suspension but received no reply, according to the suit.

Reynold Welch, chief executive officer at Mission Hospital, declined to comment on the board’s action.

In the other case, the suit accuses Western Medical officials of refusing to hand over supporting documentation. The board rejected the hospital counsel’s explanation that no documentation exists because the doctor involved had not requested a hearing.

Other defendants in the suit are: Mission’s medical staff chief William N. Thibault, Western’s medical staff chief Guy P. Randazzo, and Douglas Drumwright, chief executive officer of Western’s parent company, United Western Medical Centers.

None of the other defendants could be reached late Wednesday. Weisbaum said the defendants had not yet been served with the suit.