| Complaint: | Complaint 20-11 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Rick Wells |
| Premises: | Tempe Veterinary Hospital |
| Related: | 20-10, 20-64 |
This complaint follows on from 20-10 but pertains to Wells' role as a veterinarian.
Wells' response gives us a timeline of events. He states that he received the report on the biopsy performed by Gammill and set up an appointment to go over the results and remove the sutures from the earlier procedure. He says that at the visit he noted a new tooth was loose that needed to come out and also offered to remove more tissue than Gammill had on the prior surgery. He says the complainant was concerned about the cost so he did much of the work at a discount. He then sent the removed tissue home in a jar with the complainant as she did not want to pay for histopathology results on the tissue. He also says he cautioned her that the mass was likely to come back and that the prognosis was guarded. At the follow-up visit he says the mass had regrown to original size and recommended referral to an oncologist, but the complainant declined. Two weeks later he sent the dog's records to Pullen and to a specialist. Wells also states that the complainant was incorrect as he never said that all procedures were not done; rather, he says she's confused because he found another loose tooth and also offered to send off for another biopsy. (It's truly odd that he suggests there were referrals made to a specialist that were turned down when one of the complainant's primary complaints was that she should have been sent to a specialist far sooner.)
The Investigative Committee's response is copied directly from 20-10 so there's no need to rewrite it here.
| Source: | October 10, 2019 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Rick Wells | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Aye |
| Christine Butkiewicz | Aye |
| William Hamilton | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | January 1, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Darren Wright |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | January 1, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jane Soloman |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information will be included here.