Lengthy trial ahead for trio of defendants in KVHD elder abuse case


Published on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 2:09 PM PDT

Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun

Three defendants charged with eight counts of abusing elderly patients at Kern Valley Hospital waited quietly outside Kern County Superior Court Friday.

Los Angeles-based attorney Donald Etra, representing Dr. Hoshang Pormir, predicted, “This will be a lengthy trial. With three defendants charged with eight counts each, there will be a lot of motions.”

Gwen Hughes, ex-Kern Valley Hospital Director of Nursing, waits alone outside Superior Court in Bakersfield Friday.

Pormir, former staff physician at Kern Valley Hospital, who served as medical director of the skilled nursing facility, declined comment saying, “I’m not allowed to (talk to the press.”)

The hospital’s former Director of Nursing Gwen Hughes huddled alone in her wheelchair at the opposite end of the corridor, waited for her attorney Bruce Blythe of Bakersfield.

Ex-hospital CEO Pam Ott, represented by Bakersfield attorney James Faulkner, appeared to be in good spirits. “I’m enjoying life and my 3-year-old granddaughter. This time off really is a blessing,” Ott said.

The defendants were back in court yesterday for additional preliminary and other hearings. According to Etra, the judge found probable cause to proceed with the trial and will likely schedule additional court dates for post-preliminary arraignment “in possibly two weeks.”

The California Attorney General's Office alleged in February 2009 the trio played a role in drugging at least 22 elderly residents with mood-altering medications to quiet and control them. Those drugs led to three deaths, the state alleged. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 11 years in prison.

Comments

11 comment(s)

    home girl wrote on Sep 12, 2010 10:08 PM:

    " re: to know know what happened..the pharmacist is 'bullied into orders she doesn't agree with???? Doctors of Pharmacology are not bullied into anything.These issues are purely black or white. They either benefit the patient or they don't. "

    home girl wrote on Sep 12, 2010 10:00 PM:

    " I know enough to say this. Everyone in the medical field has a responsiblity to protect their patient. Even if it means losing your job and/or defying an order from your superior.If you are not comfortable giving an injection, you must not give it. It is your ultimate responsibility. Everyone knows that. Plus, Pam Ott hosp. admin=Debbie Hayes,Dr of Pharm.=Gwen Hughes..DON. All it took was for one person to say no.Which of course, did not happen.
    FYI, I know she uses her chair for sympathy. It is of course, a ploy. "

    To know what happened wrote on Sep 5, 2010 10:37 AM:

    " The pharmacist writes med orders, or is bullied into writing orders she doesn't agree with. The physician trusts the people under him to know their jobs and write appropriate orders. He comes later to countersign. Unfortunately he trusted the wrong people. "

    know what happened wrote on Sep 1, 2010 3:44 AM:

    " Home girl, you know nothing of the crimes which occurred if you put the blame on a pharmacist, as a doctor and administrator had all the control over the nursing center. Added to that fact is the nursing director who made choices to apply force and medications not previously utilized by the hospital. Yes, a nurse did this. But she did it with the complicity of the leadership of the hospital. And the picture of Hughes in the wheelchair should be changed,she is not bound by the chair and can walk. FYI. "

    Pray4Peace wrote on Aug 29, 2010 10:26 AM:

    " These people should be punished. But, they are not dangerous outside the facility where they worked.

    Instead of locking them up for, say, 5 years costing us $250,000 each, we could inflict punishment that benefits society instead.

    Perhaps they could be made to perform many hours of community service every week for 10 years. They could still hold jobs, pay taxes, & support their families instead of costing us more.

    Building more prisons and sending people to for-profit prisons is not economically sustainable. "

    Pray4Peace wrote on Aug 28, 2010 11:34 AM:

    " These sound like horrible people, but are not dangerous outside the facility where they worked. We should find alternative punishment rather than locking them up and costing us a lot of money.

    Let's say they are sentenced to 5 years. That would cost tax payers about $250,000. Instead, we could make them perform hours of community service every week for 10 years. They could still hold jobs, support their families and pay taxes. Not only would we save prison cost, but we would reap benefit from their punishment. "

    home girl wrote on Aug 28, 2010 12:10 AM:

    " here is my question. debbie hayes was the pharmacist. I believe that she holds a PHd (Docorate of Pharmacology). They cut her a deal in order to get Pam Ott, Gwen Hughes and Dr. Pormir. She was the lynchpin to the whole deal. If she simply said no the whole deal would have been off.If she refused, the whole deal could not have happened.So....? "

    home girl wrote on Aug 28, 2010 12:00 AM:

    " so now this week, in the news, we have another abuser in our hospital. What do we do? "

    home girl wrote on Aug 27, 2010 11:57 PM:

    " Dr Pormir's problem is that as a physician, he is too kind and trusting. He just believes that all people are kind and gentle as he is. "

    jjones wrote on Aug 25, 2010 4:02 PM:

    " Boggles my mind, elder abuse, nice time off to be with her granddaughter. After all of the people that suffered at her hand, she is glad to have time off. Here is hoping she has plenty of time off - be it behind BARS! "

    ann marie wrote on Aug 25, 2010 4:45 AM:

    " They make me sick,If you don't like the job get another one. How could anyone do that to another human. I hope they get the max. If it's the death penalty so be it , they deserve it. "

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