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A longtime Kaiser Permanente surgeon is suing a fellow physician for allegedly submitting false medical board complaints against him in an attempt to get him fired.

Joseph Stalfire III, MD, claims Ming Hsieh, MD, began a campaign to harm his reputation after Stalfire hurt his leg and went on medical leave. Stalfire, a board-certified ob-gyn, has worked for Kaiser Permanente in western Oregon for more than 20 years, including several years as a regional chief surgical officer.

Stalfire is accusing Hsieh of defamation and intentional emotional distress, according to the March 25 lawsuit filed in Marion County Circuit Court. Northwest Permanente PC., a Kaiser subsidiary, is also named as a defendant.

Stalfire is asking for $1.2 million in economic damages and $300,000 in noneconomic damages. Hsieh has not yet responded to the legal complaint.

Stalfire's attorney did not respond to a message seeking comment. Hsieh is representing himself, according to court records. A Kaiser Permanente spokeswoman told Medscape Medical News that Kaiser does not comment on pending litigation.

The conflict began in February 2023, after Stalfire underwent surgery to correct issues stemming from severe injuries when a tree fell on his leg, according to court records. 

Hsieh, a Kaiser ob-gyn, senior physician, and quality assurance lead, allegedly contacted Stalfire after the surgery and demanded he return to work earlier than medically recommended. Stalfire claims Hsieh questioned his retirement plans and his ability to continue working to pressure him into quitting. 

Stalfire reported Hsieh's conduct to Kaiser's human resources department. However, the complaint contends Hsieh's actions only escalated after the report was made. According to the complaint, Hsieh began telling coworkers Stalfire was "lying" about his injuries. Hsieh also allegedly contacted administrators and schedulers to ask about Stalfire's injuries and suggested that he was not "legitimately recovering from serious injuries." The complaint claims that Hsieh told Stalfire's colleagues that he was a "con man," a "criminal," and "despicable."

According to Stalfire's complaint, in August 2023, Hsieh submitted numerous anonymous complaints about Stalfire to the Washington Medical Commission, the Oregon Medical Board, and other governmental agencies. Stalfire defended himself against the complaints, and they were dismissed. The lawsuit does not specify the nature of the complaints.

Stalfire later made public record requests for the complaints and discovered Hsieh had used his deceased mother-in-law's phone number as his contact information, according to the lawsuit. 

Despite multiple reports about Hsieh's conduct, Stalfire claims Kaiser retained Hsieh as an employee and took no action to prevent him from making false statements about Stalfire. 

He claims Hsieh's harassment and Kaiser's inaction harmed his professional reputation, caused lost work time, and resulted in severe emotional distress that required mental health treatment. The harm caused continues to impact his ability to work, the suit contends. 

Alicia Gallegos is a freelance healthcare reporter based in the Midwest.