BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A local Obstetrician-Gynecologist was placed on five-years probation by the California Medical Board following the death of a patient back in 2016, according to the stipulated settlement.
A complaint filed last year with the state medical board against Dr. Arthur M. Park accused Dr. Park of gross negligence. According to the complaint, Dr. Park was the on-call OB-GYN at Adventist Health when the 23-year-old woman’s baby was delivered.
The complaint said during the delivery, complications arose with the woman's placenta and Dr. Park "mismanaged" the situation. The complaint said Dr. Park removed the placenta less than 30 minutes after the baby was delivered "when there was no indication of, or reason for, the need for the placenta to be rapidly extracted."
Within a half-hour after the placenta was removed, the patient began showing signs of shock, according to the complaint. The woman went into cardiac arrest twice, the complaint said, and was showing signs of a perforated uterus. The complaint argued that Dr. Park failed to recognize the symptoms or begin immediate life-saving measures.
The woman died later that evening. The autopsy, according to the complaint, said she died due to "postpartum hemorrhage due to traumatic laceration of uterus and cervix."
According to the settlement, issued on May 28, Dr. Park's probation becomes effective on June 26 at 5 p.m.
Dr. Park is also being sued for the death of 23-year-old Demi Dominguez, who died in Aug. 2019 while pregnant with her son. The lawsuit claims that Dr. Park, along with another doctor, "negligently and carelessly cared for, treated and rendered medical services" on Dominguez and her baby causing them to suffer fatal injuries.
As part of his probation, Dr. Park cannot work in a hospital setting or practice obstetrics or perform surgery. Dr. Park may provide prenatal care but only under the supervision of another doctor and only during certain periods of a woman's pregnancy. He's allowed to continue practicing gynecology during his probationary period.
Dr. Park was previously placed on three-years probation in Nov. 2000, following similar complaints of gross negligence. Records show Dr. Park had two patients who lost their babies in 1996 and 1997 either during or shortly after childbirth.
