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Omar Massoud, a Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist with more than 20 years of experience, was fired after being charged with kidnapping and s*xual assault. The 66-year-old doctor was arrested on Tuesday, December 20. He has been charged with three counts of gross s*xual imposition and three counts of kidnapping.
As per the court documents, Massoud committed the alleged crimes on March 25, November 11, and November 28. According to reports, Omar Massoud was fired and eventually arrested on December 20 for s*xually assaulting his patients in the hospital during an examination. Details of the incidents haven’t yet been shared and an investigation regarding the case is in progress.
Dr. Massoud’s biography on HealthLine stated that he is a veteran in the medical field, who specializes in adult gastroenterology. After the alleged charges against him came to light, the biography was removed from HealthLine’s website.
On Tuesday, after Omar Massoud’s arrest, the Cleveland Clinic released a statement. As per Fox 19, it read:
“Cleveland Clinic is strongly committed to protecting the rights and safety of our patients, visitors and caregivers from any type of inappropriate behavior. We have processes for employees and patients to report any concerns, which are then thoroughly investigated."
After the accusations against the doctor were made, the Cleveland Clinic took immediate action and reported the complaints to law enforcement. They mentioned in a statement that they were cooperating with the ongoing investigations.
A thorough internal investigation was conducted, after which Dr. Omar Massoud was fired. The Cleveland Clinic claimed to be deeply concerned about its patients' safety and has absolute intolerance for any misconduct.
Omar Massoud might be put on a five-year probation
Court documents say that Massoud fondled three patients without their consent during three separate examinations this year. The first alleged assault occurred on March 25 this year on the main campus of the Cleveland Clinic, which is located right outside the downtown area.
The second assault took place on November 11, and the third occurred on November 28, at the Clinic’s primary location.
Third-degree felonies in Ohio typically carry sentences that range from 9 to 36 months. If Omar Massoud is found guilty in court, he may face probation of up to five years and will be registered as a s*x offender.
Massoud carries professional medical licenses in not just Ohio but multiple U.S. states, including Minnesota, Alabama, and Wisconsin. He is also the Cleveland Clinic’s former chief of Hepatology.
Texas doctor arrested for allegedly causing the death of a colleague
Massoud was not the only medical professional to recently make headlines. Raynaldo Ortiz, an anesthesiologist based in Texas, was arrested on September 14, 2022, for tampering with IV bags which led to one of his colleague’s death. The Dallas Police Department confirmed that Ortiz is facing federal charges.
The doctor was accused of injecting bronchodilation and nerve-blocking drugs into IV bags and thus poisoning them. David Horan, a U.S. Magistrate, deemed Ortiz a threat to the community and detained him until his trial.
In a surveillance video that was played at Ortiz’s detention hearing by prosecutors, the doctor could be seen putting the IV bags in a fluid warmer outside the OT. Ortiz was caught suspiciously looking around in the video. Shortly after he deposited the IV bag in the fluid warmer, the patient suffered a serious complication.
The Texas Medical Board suspended Ortiz’s medical license after determining that his continuation in the medical field would pose a threat to public welfare. The doctor also has a criminal history of assault against women, violence, and medical negligence. He also allegedly shot a neighbor’s dog in the past.
More details about Omar Massoud's case are yet to be revealed.
