By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
The Washington Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance Commission issued an ex parte order of summary action, suspending the medical license of a Gig Harbor, Washington psychiatrist following his arrest for allegedly making death threats and threats to bomb the Molina Health Care’s facility in Bothell. The summary suspension was sought by the Attorney General’s Office and granted three days after his arrest. It will be effective pending further action.
Police allege Dr. Said Farzad M.D. threatened employees of insurance provider Molina Health Care. In a series of phone calls in April and May, Farzad complained about paperwork problems associated with his patients, and then began threatening to shoot employees. He was arrested by Bothell police the following day.
The commission has the authority to take emergency adjudicative action to address immediate danger to the public, health, safety or welfare and according to the Summary Action Order, the commission findings of fact established the “immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare if [Dr. Farzad] has an unrestricted credential.
Allegations made by the Medical Quality Assurance Commission are as follows:
Respondent [Dr Farzad] made numerous calls to the Molina HealthCare (Molina) Prior Authorization Department located in Bothell, WA between mid-April and early May 2014 regarding problems processing paperwork submitted for patient claims. Respondent would identify himself by name and provide his National Provider’s Identification when making calls to Molina. Respondent’s calls became progressively more abusive and aggressive.
On May 2, 2014 Respondent left a voice message calling Molina employees “bastards” and Idiots.” Respondent went on to say that Molina’s business will end and he threatened a lawsuit against Molina.
On May 5, 2014 Respondent placed four telephone calls to Molina employees. The employees’ caller ID function identified all calls as coming from [redacted] Respondent’s cell phone number. Respondent was frustrated regarding a medication denial for one of his patients. During the first call, Respondent became upset after several minutes and asked the employee how he would feel if he came to the Molina office and “start shooting everyone.” The employee hung up the phone.
Respondent immediately called Molina back at about 1530 hours and spoke with a different employee. Respondent identified himself and said that he was “homicidal.” Respondent explained his frustrations with Molina and said that he wanted to murder everyone with machine guns.
After that call terminated, Respondent called back at about 1533 hours and talked to a third employee. Respondent told that employee that he would come to Molina with machine guns and shoot everyone.
After that call terminated, Respondent called back at about 1536 hours and talked to a fourth employee. Respondent repeatedly told employee his intention to kill everyone. Respondent threatened, “I am five minutes away from Bothell and I will bomb you when I get there,” “I have a gun, I want to shoot your director,” and “I will kill everybody including that idiot [supervisor].”
The Bothell Police Department conducted an investigation and determined that there was probable cause to arrest Respondent on four counts of Telephone Harassment – Threat to Kill (Class C Felony) and one count of Threat to Bomb (Class B Felony)…Respondent claimed that he only made one call to Molina and that he did not make any threats.
The Order cites the alleged violation establishing cause for the summary suspension under the mental health provisions of RCW 18.130.170(1)
He also had two additional complaints noted in the findings of fact involving alleged boundary issues with patents.
Dr. Farzad elected to contact local news station KIRO for an on camera interview to voice his version of the events.
“I have absolutely no memory,” said Farzad at his home in Gig Harbor. “I still don’t have a memory that I have said something.”
Dr. Farzad said he has had repeated confrontations with Molina over denials to cover anti-depression medication he has prescribed to patients at his Tacoma office. Instead of supplying the more up-to-date prescriptions he wants, Dr. Farzad said the company has paid for older, much cheaper drugs that he considered outdated and dangerous.
During the alleged heated telephone call, when Dr. Farzad said he was homicidal and made a threat to bomb but he claims: “I lost it at that point, she just argued with me. I think I said certain things that I’m blocking right now. I blocked that part.”
The video interview with Dr. Farzad can be watched HERE.
The Department of Health Documents:
Statement of Charges
Ex Parte Summary Action Order
By Darren Smith
Sources:
Washington HSQA Provider Database Query for Provider Credential MD00044681
Northwest Cable News
Tacoma News Tribune
KIRO News
Title 18, Chapter 130 Revised Code of Washington
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
Extreme Sad Loss. Mental illness is a cruel and devastating illness. Dr Farzad was advocating, fighting approval for a patient’s prescription. Molina Insurance
routine denials and abuse towards doctor’s / health care providers can push any one over the edge. Not justifying threats of course but where is the justice?
Molina is growing bigger with profits beyond most companies. My beautiful Healthy twenty-one year old daughter became a victim of mental illness. A living nightmare that dropped me to my knees in despair praying for her. We (my daughter, her siblings) were blessed to have Dr Farzad as her psychiatrists. In a state that’s ranked at the bottom of fifty in treating mental illness, a state in violation of the treatment in mental illness, per the Supreme Court of Washington. Yet where is the concern, empathy for a man a doctor advocating
for a patient in a system that’s obviously severely broken. God blessed us again as my daughter is becoming herself again. I pray for Dr Farzad and
all that see bad before knowing the good.
Dear concerned,
thank you for your post. This guy is nuts. Believe me, obviously I will remain anonymous, for now. This guy is going be in big trouble legally and financially, that’s all I am going to say for now…
I know this person and the issues of crossing boundaries with patients go back at lest 10 years to Western State where a young female was fired after reporting sexual harrassment he denied it but a judge found in her favor. Read the reports under The Department of Health provider lookup enter his name select physician/surgeon and then decide if you would want him treating your child.
If you’ve ever dealt with insurance companies, I understand.
A brain is a brain.
Any of them can go bad.
I hope that the police checked to see if he owns any weapons. Very scary.
Surely this cannot be. All members of the APA are level-headed and would not resort to violence, not even threaten it.
While I have sympathy for this guy in dealing with insurance companies, he should have kept his cool. Is there any legal defense in this case as fighting words? I would think that at some point even the most rational, calm, sane person will be pushed over the edge when dealing with idiots.
Shrink, heal thyself.
“…immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare if [Dr. Farzad] has an unrestricted credential.”
???? – How?
Probably the right decision – ultimately, but what about due process?
I suspect that the decision was expedited because of the prevailing public attitude towards guns, his Arab sounding name, and the fact that he probably won’t become a folk hero.
A more savvy psycho could probably have stalled the decision.
WOW! I can understand his frustration with dealing with insurance companies, but it appears he lost his head, er his faculties….his marbles? Oy! That’s gonna hurt. I’m glad your state’s quality assurance agency has suspended his license.