Six month suspension for surgeon for insulting remarks toward staff

Montreal – Dr. Michel Malo was suspended for a period of six months by the disciplinary council of the College of Physicians of Quebec (CMQ) for having made humiliating, insulting, sexist and sometimes even threatening comments towards nurses, auxiliaries and attendants. An associate professor in the department of surgery of the faculty of medicine of the University of Montreal since 2016, Dr. Malo has practiced mainly at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur since 2001. He also practiced at the Hôpital Jean-Talon from 2001 to 2019, and it is at this second establishment that the many facts that were alleged against him occurred. 'You could go to work in a McDonald's On more than one occasion, he allegedly said to a nursing assistant, who was assisting him with surgery: “You could go to work at a McDonald's. There, they don't need a diploma to flip burgers” and “Did you graduate from a Cracker Jack company?” He also allegedly told her: "When I speak, you shut your mouth." On several occasions, Dr. Malo also allegedly made sexist remarks in the presence of an attendant. When she was on duty in a ward with some of her patients and a male attendant comes in to help her, he is said to have said to her: "Yes, at least one guy, this is going to be quick." When a nurse did not give him the right equipment during surgery, Dr. Malo yelled that she does not know the instruments and that she should have revised her technique the day before. Read: Winnipeg doctor hit with licence cancellation and $100,000 in fine and costs Due to his attitude and the climate of tension created by Dr. Malo, members of the staff asked the management of the hospital to no longer work with him. Despite warnings in 2017, his behaviour continued. Faced with his refusal or his inability to change, the establishment has had to adjust resources when it operates in order to avoid any contact between itself and the employees who are victims of its insults, belittling and intimidation. He stopped operating at Jean-Talon in early 2019, but a complaint was still filed against him at the CMQ in May. The disciplinary council sued him under Article 17 of the Code of Ethics which stipulates: "A physician must behave impeccably towards any person with whom he comes into contact in the practice of his profession.” An oppressive environment The council alleges that the comments made by Dr. Malo have no place in the workplace, let alone in the health field. In addition, his breaches did not represent an isolated act, since his conduct in the surgery room lasted two years and affected several people. A work climate marked by such conduct creates an anxiety-provoking, stressful and oppressive environment for staff, which contrasts with the duty to ensure quality care in a serene, calming and reassuring climate, says the disciplinary council. He pleads guilty Dr. Malo plead guilty to the charges against him. In a statement, he sought to explain his conduct by the fact that his practice requires careful, even obsessive attention to the principles of sterility, especially in orthopedics where complications related to infections can be disastrous. He also spoke of his own rigor and indicated that he demands the same quality from the people who work with him. He admitted that he was impatient, overly intransigent with staff, lacked control over his emotions and that his behaviour was inappropriate. He added that he had done some awareness-raising and soul-searching, which made him realize that he lacked patience and tolerance for beginners when faced with neglect and incompetence in the operating room. A precedent in medicine The disciplinary council nevertheless considered that his explanations could not justify “irascible behaviour, disrespect of human dignity (and being) malicious and surly. . . . Interpersonal skills with regard to his work colleagues (doctors, residents, nurses, orderlies, administrative staff) and patients is just as important as its know-how,” added the council. Dr. Malo was struck off for a period of six months. His suspension began on Aug. 3. Originally ran on our sister brand in Quebec, Profession Santé. Translated from French.

Six month suspension for surgeon for insulting remarks toward staff

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