South Carolina Veterans Affairs Hospital Hires Surgeon Accused of Incompetence

The Depart of Veterans Affairs William Jennings Bryan Dorn Medical Center in Columbia has a fairly good reputation, especially considering the major issues that have plagued the VA in the past few years. The hospital was recognized as a Top Performer for four years running by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations. However, recent information calls the hospital’s hiring practices into question.

The WJB Dorn Medical Center confirmed in December that Dr. Alan Koslow was the newest addition to their surgical team. Dr. Koslow is a former Des Moines-area surgeon who made headlines for his support of secularism and civil rights, topics he campaigned on during two bids for state legislature. Now, he’s making headlines for an entirely new reason.

The surgeon faced disciplinary charges from the Iowa Board of Medicine for allegedly risky behavior. Dr. Koslow was accused of improperly choosing to operate on high-risk patients and of making mistakes during and after surgery. The charges, filed on December 11, 2015 should have resulted in the revocation of his medical license. Instead, Koslow reached a settlement with Iowa regulators.

What happened instead

Koslow will have to serve five years’ probation and have his work reviewed by an experienced surgeon. According to the Des Moines Register, “Alan Koslow recently agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and undergo re-training to settle allegations of incompetence and disruptive behavior. He is the second former Des Moines surgeon to take a job with an out-of-state VA hospital in recent years after being accused of incompetence by Iowa regulators.”

The South Carolina VA was aware of Koslow’s history of risky behavior and the terms of his settlement with the Iowa Board of Medicine, but decided to hire the surgeon despite this information. VA spokesman Dwayne Rider told the Des Moines Register, “We are following the requirements outlined by the Iowa Board of Medicine and have done so for 100 percent of his cases. He has performed appropriately in regards to clinical safety and quality.”

Regardless of his present performance, Dr. Koslow has a history of risky behavior and poor performance. Our veterans deserve better. They have put their lives on the line for our country; those lives are now in the hands of someone who requires probationary supervision.

If you or a loved one is a veteran who has suffered at the hands of the VA, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The experienced South Carolina Veterans Affairs attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips LLC can help get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.