New wrongful-death lawsuit filed against Columbus hospital

COLUMBUS (AP) — A new wrongful-death lawsuit alleges an Ohio hospital’s chief pharmacy officer knew about employees prescribing, approving and administering excessive painkiller doses but didn’t stop it from recurring.

The lawsuit today over the Nov. 20 death of Melissa Penix, 82, names defendants including the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System, chief pharmacy officer Janet Whittey and doctor William Husel.

Mount Carmel found Husel ordered excessive doses for at least 28 patients who died.

Husel was removed from patient care after Penix died. Mount Carmel later fired him, publicly apologized and put 23 other employees on leave.

Husel’s lawyers aren’t commenting. They’re asking to halt proceedings in some other lawsuits against him pending a criminal investigation.

A phone number for Whittey rang unanswered today. Court records listed no attorney for her.