NEWS

State delays action on pain doctor's license

Keith Roysdon
kroysdon@gannett.com

MUNCIE – State medical licensing authorities have put on hold their action against a doctor whose Muncie pain clinic was raided until after the resolution of criminal charges filed here in Delaware County.

The Indiana Medical Licensing Board and attorney general's office have decided that the temporary suspension of William Hedrick's medical license — which had been set for another hearing and possible action this week — will continue "indefinitely, until criminal charges are resolved," a spokesman for the attorney general's office told The Star Press on Thursday.

The licensing board made the decision this week in a meeting that did not include testimony or deliberation.

Hedrick agreed to the continued suspension pending resolution of the criminal charges filed in Delaware County, attorney general spokesman Molly Johnson said.

Hedrick, a 52-year-old Fort Wayne physician who has operated a series of pain clinics around the state, is accused of improperly prescribing controlled substances, including morphine.

His northside Muncie office was raided on Oct. 20 by state, federal and local authorities. His medical license was temporarily suspended on an emergency basis on Oct. 23.

Authorities said eight people — including three from Delaware County and one from Henry County — had died from complications or overdoses as a result of medications prescribed by Hedrick's pain clinics.

Hedrick was arrested on Jan. 6 and charged by Delaware County Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold with eight felonies, including three counts of forgery, three counts of registration offenses tied to prescription drugs, and one count each of Medicaid fraud and reckless prescribing.

The state alleged that Hedrick "engaged in a course of conduct that jeopardizes patient safety, including falsifying medical records, falsifying prescriptions, failing to monitor the actions of his employees resulting in actual or potential physical harm and utilizing dangerous prescription practices."

Hedrick was booked into the Delaware County jail and released after posting a $40,000 bond. Deputy Prosecutor Zach Craig is handling the state's case and court records reflect attorney K. Michael Gaerte has entered an appearance to represent Hedrick. No further court appearances have been scheduled.

In a separate case, nurse-practitioner Gay Gunderson-Watson was also arrested on Jan. 6 and charged with three counts each of forgery and registration offenses.

Hedrick opened a pain clinic on Muncie's north side in 2013 and quickly built a base of hundreds of customers. The office was so popular that the parking lot was expanded and neighboring businesses complained to authorities about Hedrick's patients loitering and parking on their property.

Since the raid, many of Hedrick's patients — including some defenders and some critics — contacted The Star Press expressing concern about who would prescribe needed pain medications for them. Some said they have found other doctors, some said they could not and some — after the raid but before the state obtained a temporary suspension of Hedrick's medical license — went to see him in other cities.

Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and follow him on Twitter: @keithroysdon