Medical Panel Will Investigate Amend

A state commission that usually investigates doctors accused of substandard care or misconduct is opening a case on Spokane County’s coroner, a retired urologist.

While most investigations stem from patient complaints, this one was made by Gov. Mike Lowry.

In a letter requesting the investigation, Lowry’s attorney said Coroner Dexter Amend turned a homicide case “into a platform for broadcasting hate, intolerance and misinformation aimed at the gay community.”

Lowry objected to statements Amend made last month condemning homosexuality and linking it to the death of a 9-year-old Spokane girl who’d been sodomized in the past.

Detectives didn’t make that link and charged Rachel Carver’s uncle in the murder.

“Such statements diminish the ability of members of the gay community to have faith in health care providers and irrevocably harm the delivery of quality health care,” wrote Kent Caputo, Lowry’s attorney.

But even if the State Medical Quality Assurance Commission rules the coroner somehow broke the law, the most it can do is revoke his license to practice medicine.

The commission has no jurisdiction over his elected position as coroner.

Neither does the governor, says Jordan Dey, Lowry’s spokesman: “The governor’s authority is very limited here.”

Maryella Jansen, the commission’s disciplinary manager, doesn’t recall ever receiving another complaint from a governor. “This is a rather unique, unusual complaint. This will be an interesting process for all of us to watch.”

The complaint will be treated like any other citizen complaint, said Jansen, and may mean a three- to six-month investigation, statements from Amend and a hearing.

Amend, through his secretary, refused to comment. His attorney, Donald Kellman, said he and Amend are in the process of responding to a Sept. 14 letter from Lowry.

In his letter to Amend, Lowry stated, “The murder of Rachel was not committed by a gay person, yet you have used her death to indict the entire gay community.”

Kellman also is planning to contact the quality assurance commission.

Amend, who was first licensed in Washington in 1949, was to have paid $225 to have his license renewed by Sept. 4, said Jansen. Amend’s attorney says he is planning to renew it right away.

Jansen said the commission has jurisdiction over a doctor’s medical license for three years after it lapses, when the doctor can renew it simply by paying the fees.

“This is an objective body that can look into the matter,” said Dey, “and that’s what’s important.”

, DataTimes