Scientology case takes toll on doctor - 2005-07-09
Scientology case takes toll on doctor July 9, 2005,
Former Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Joan Wood has relinquished her Florida medical license in the wake of a state health department claim that she "became an advocate for the Church of Scientology" in a bitter dispute over the 1995 death of Scientology member Lisa McPherson.
Wood changed the probable cause of death from "severe dehydration" to "accident" based on "factors other than objective anatomic findings," according to an administrative complaint. She also let "personal bias or prejudice" affect her decision to amend the original ruling.
In her handling of the McPherson case, the department's complaint said, Wood "failed to practice medicine with that level of care, skill and treatment which is recognized . . . as being acceptable under similar conditions and circumstances."