HOUSTON – A local physician has sued his employer for not affording him a proper investigation into allegations against him, recent Harris County District Court records show.
Dr. Tomas G. Rios brought a lawsuit against Inpatient Consultants of Texas, PLLC, doing business as TeamHealth, on Apr. 11 in the Harris County 189th District Court.
In the original petition, Rios explains that the defendant placed him on paid administrative leave last August while it investigated patient care claims against him received from medical staff members at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.
“From the outset, Dr. Rios maintained that any issues pertaining to his patient care, or medical competency, should be evaluated through proper peer review procedures to ensure accurate investigation and due process afforded physicians when their competency as a physician is questioned,” court papers state.
The defendant purportedly declined the plaintiff’s requests and continued its investigation for almost six months. Rios was placed on unpaid administrative leave last month and then terminated, the suit says.
According to the complaint, the respondent’s actions violated the Texas Medical Practices Act.
Consequently, Rios seeks unspecified monetary damages.
He is represented by Jeremy D. Saenz of the law firm Wagner & Saenz, L.L.P. in Houston.
Harris County 189th District Court Case No. 2018-24328