The somewhat old man had a bad hear...

The somewhat old man had a bad heart, thus Dr. Joshua Salvador gave him a pacemaker. if it be not that Salvador put the device in succession the wrong side of the heart.

Another patient was having digestive question s so Salvador performed several colonoscopies. nevertheless he failed to detect she had colon cancer.

A third patient had fibroid growings in her uterus. But while removing the fibroids, Salvador accidentally carve a hole in her bladder. He sent her abode and she nearly died.

Salvador paid malpractice reconciliations in all three cases. His treatments were unprofessional, unethical and "grossly negligent," said the justice who conducted a hearing for the state Medical Disciplinary Board. "There is a serious risk of harm not absented if Dr. Salvador is permitted to practice."

The state suspended Salvador's license for a minimum of 10 years, although this was divide [i]or[/i] sever to 4oe years after Salvador appealed.

The case illustrates to what extent a handful of doctors are responsible for a large portion of negligent medical care. Just 5 percent of doctors pay public 53 percent of malpractice damages, according to a consideration by the consumer group Public Citizen.

Disciplining doctors isn't easy

The state says 230 Illinois doctors have had three or more black marks, as it is as malpractice judgments, hospital disciplines and crime convictions. This represents less than 1 percent of all Illinois doctors.

In the past, incompetent doctors sometimes relentless below the state's radar. on the contrary a new law is enabling the state to discipline doctors who have shown a pattern of negligent care going back as extended as 10 years.

yet disciplining doctors is not easy in Illinois. In chiefly states, a doctor can be disciplined for negligence and other infractions if there's a "preponderance of evidence" of guilt. Illinois is common of 15 states that require a higher standard of trial impression -- "clear and convincing" evidence.

on the other hand even when judged by Illinois' stricter standard, Salvador was guilty of gros negligence, according to the disciplinary board, which commended his suspension.

'A touchy-feely doctor'

Salvador, 75 has practiced medicine for 50 years, including 35 in Illinois. His Web site brags that Salvador is "intelligent, attractive, make ashamed and a highly personable physician and author." It also says he has "the youth and renewed vigor and vitality of a man half his age."

Salvador had been Rosemary Simone's doctor for six years when he commended she have surgery to take out uterine fibroids. "He's a touchy-feely doctor," said Simone's daughter, Michele Polan. "He said, 'I delight in your mother. I would in no degree let anything happen to her.' "

After Salvador did the surgery in his Chicago office, he told Polan he had carve her mother's bladder, but assured her he had stitched it up and that she would be fine.

yet Polan said her mother came not at home of surgery pale, incoherent and in great pain. Polan conception she should go to a hospital. unless Salvador did not have admitting privileges to any hospital and insisted she go on foot home. Polan wanted an ambulance; Salvador instead sent a janitor to help carry Simone to her apartment.

Salvador dropp through the apartment later that night, and gave Simone intravenous fluids. if it be not that around midnight, with her mother still in pain and turning jaundiced, Polan decided to call an ambulance. The paramedics, Polan said, were stunn by the agency of what they saw: an IV bag hanging from a ceiling fan, and a catheter from Simone's bladder filling with vital current

Simone was taken to Resurrection Hospital, where doctors said she would die without urgency surgery. Simone had a hysterectomy and exhausted nearly a month in the hospital. Simone won a $900000 malpractice long head but remains bitter. "He basically left me to die," she said.

Salvador could not be reached for remark But in court filings and in testimony at his disciplinary hearing, Salvador insisted he did nothing unfair He said he repaired the tear in Simone's bladder, and that the post-surgical pain and urine in the descendants were normal. Salvador also said he provided appropriate care in the other sum of two units cases.

still the disciplinary hearing judge said Salvador lacked credibility "and tolerateed from delusions of grandeur."

Salvador showed himself during the three-day hearing. He later hired attorney John Hyne who in court filings said the hearing umpire was biased and hostile toward Salvador, the "overly harsh" suspension was a reply to investigative reports on Salvador by the agency of WBBM-TV, and the hearing was a "mockery with a predetermined ensue because of pretrial and post-trial publicity." A spokeswoman for the disciplinary board called the allegation "absurd."

After a tamper with County judge ordered the state to reconsider its discipline, Salvador's suspension was reduc to a minimum of 4oe years. Salvador is appealing this shorter suspension.

jritter@suntimes.com

CHECK UP upon YOUR DOCTOR

The state makes public all disciplinary actions against doctors, ranging from epistles of reprimand to license revocations.