Page 32 - Part 1 Collaborating with Advanced Practice Providers - An Overview of State Rules

SVMIC Collaborating with Advanced Practice Providers

CASE STUDY

Catherine Connor was 27 years old when she died from acute
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drug intoxication caused by prescription drugs. She was

recovering from a surgical procedure when she developed an

infection. Travis White, M.D., was working with a group of
internists and was Ms. Connor’s primary care physician at that

time. In early February, Ms. Connor went to see Dr. White at his

office for the treatment of pain she was suffering as a result of the
infection. Dr. White’s physician assistant, Mary Martin, saw Ms.

Connor when she came in and gave her a 3-week prescription
for Demerol, to be taken four times a day, along with Stadol. PA

Martin did not schedule a follow up visit. After about two weeks
Ms. Connor called Dr. White’s office complaining of nausea,

vomiting and dehydration. Ms. Connor was directed to go to the

emergency room if she felt dehydrated, but Ms. Connor did not
go to the emergency room at that time. Ms. Connor suffered a

seizure and cardiac and/or respiratory arrest and died later that

day. The following day, an autopsy revealed that she died from
“acute combined drug intoxication” as a result of the prescription

drugs she was taking.

The decedent’s surviving spouse filed a medical malpractice
action against the supervising physician and his group. During

the litigation, the doctor was censured by the Board of Medical
Examiners, which fined Dr. White and placed his medical license

on probation for five years for the alleged violations.

23 Watkins v. Affiliated Internists, 2012 WL 4086139 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2012).

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