Georgia surgeon arrested for assaulting recovering patient at hospital

A general surgeon operating at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, Ga., was arrested and facing charges after a patient says he assaulted her in her hospital room hours after her procedure.

According to a police report obtained by WSB-TV in Atlanta, the patient said she was on the phone with Steven Muscoreil, MD, several hours after her surgery at the hospital to express her concerns about the procedure. She said that during the call, Dr. Muscoreil became angry and raised his voice at her.

Shortly after, the woman told police, Dr. Muscoreil arrived in her room and charged toward her “as if he was going to strike her,” reports WSB-TV. Although she said the doctor did not in fact strike her, he “got in her face and started yelling and shaking his finger inches from her face,” the outlet says, adding that “the yelling was so loud that the staff in the hallway heard.”

Local news outlet Now Georgia reports that Lavonia Police Department said officers responded to the incident at the hospital around 6 p.m. on Jan. 8. Two nurses who described Dr. Muscoreil as “extremely angry” confirmed the patient’s account, according to the police report, but declined to provide written statements or additional identifying information, citing instructions from legal counsel.

Now Georgia says a nurse who was inside the room when the incident occurred told officers that Dr. Muscoreil’s behavior “appeared aggressive” and that the patient believed he was about to hit her. The nurse said she physically intervened and pushed the surgeon away to prevent the situation from escalating further. Now Georgia reports that the patient told police she was afraid Dr. Muscoreil could return to her room because she was hospitalized and unable to leave following surgery.

Lavonia police determined there was probable cause to arrest Dr. Muscoreil on a charge of simple assault, with the arresting officer noting that immediate action was necessary due to the surgeon’s access to the patient and the potential for continued intimidation, writes Now Georgia. The surgeon was then taken into custody at the hospital and arrested on the simple assault charge. He was released the following morning.

WSB-TV received a statement from a hospital spokesperson that said, “St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital is committed to safe patient care. The provider who is the subject of these allegations was not an employee of St. Mary’s and is no longer providing care at our facility. We cannot comment any further on this specific situation."