A Seattle doctor, accused of sending dozens of explicit text messages a day while he was on the clock supervising surgeries, has had his medical license suspended by the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission.
Arthur K. Zilberstein, 47-year-old anesthesiologist and surgeon at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, is being investigated by Washington state health authorities for compromising patient safety by sexting during surgery, engaging in sexual activity on hospital grounds, issuing unauthorized prescriptions, and using medical images for sexual pleasure.
Evidence brought against Zilberstein by the Medical Quality Assurance Commission shows that he engaged in inappropriate behavior between April and August 2013, including sending over 250 messages featuring sexually explicit content believed to be sent while he performed or supervised medical procedures.
Selfies showing the doctor in his scrubs, wearing hospital identification and exposing himself were sent during the time patients were under his medical care. In addition, he is accused of improperly accessing medical records for his own sexual gratification, engaging in sexual acts at work and signing off on 29 prescriptions for illegal substances for a patient he had sex with and for whom he did not properly review her medical history.
“Once we learned that the state had suspended this physician’s medical license, the physician’s Medical Staff membership and privileges were immediately suspended. We just recently learned of these allegations and are conducting our own internal review of the physician, who is not directly employed by Swedish,” the Swedish Medical Center said in a statement.
The Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission has not revealed how the charges were brought to them but it is believed that one of his colleagues may have played a role in the investigation. “Oh. And my partner walked in as I was pulling up my scrubs. I’m pretty sure he caught me,” one of the text messages read.
Zilberstein will not be able to practice medicine in Washington until the charges are resolved. He has 20 days to respond to the charges and request a hearing. Sources have stated that the doctor has not provided a comment.