CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A former doctor for Adena who was found guilty last month by the state medical board of sexual harassment is allegedly being considered for a top job at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center (OSU) in Columbus. This comes just weeks after he was fired from a job in Arizona once the employer who hired him out west found out about his past.
Dr. Gustavo Barrazueta, a physician formerly employed by Adena Health System, is in the running as a finalist for a job at OSU as a top-doctor, according to sources, despite the fact that Dr. Barrazueta has been found guilty of sexual misconduct. The alleged job interview held this month comes on the heals of the physician being fined $3,000 and admitting to sexual misconduct at work.
The disciplinary action taken against Dr. Barrazueta last month by the state medical board includes a formal reprimand of his license to practice allopathic medicine and surgery, and a $3,000 fine. This decision follows Dr. Barrazueta’s admission to engaging in inappropriate communication with numerous staff members while working at Adena Health System. His actions have been deemed a violation of professional ethical codes as stipulated by various national medical associations.
Dr. Barrazueta’s behavior has been deemed a breach of the American Medical Association’s code of ethics, effective March 13, 2024. This ruling is part of broader legal troubles for Dr. Barrazueta, who is a defendant in a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and workplace negligence filed by a former employee of Adena Health System.
The lawsuit, filed by a female medical device sales representative, details incidents of harassment by Dr. Barrazueta, beginning with explicit text messages and escalating to unwelcome sexual advances. The plaintiff claims Dr. Barrazueta threatened to take his business elsewhere after she refused his advances, which severely impacted her income. The lawsuit includes an April 4, 2022, text message in which Dr. Barrazueta explicitly requested sexual favors. When she did not comply, he allegedly redirected his medical equipment purchases to a competitor.
According to the report, the alleged victim states that Dr. Barrazueta repeatedly sent her text messages saying, “I would do such dirty things to you,” and asked if she would be with him if he left his spouse. The final straw, according to the victim, was a series of sexually explicit messages detailing what he wanted to do to her, which were provided to the Guardian by police but are too graphic to publish. One message indicated that Barrazueta wished to “lick” the woman’s anus.
Despite the victim’s efforts to report the misconduct, Adena Health System allowed Dr. Barrazueta to remain employed until August 8, 2023. The lawsuit accuses the health system of fostering a culture that tolerated similar behaviors from other medical providers. Legal claims include sexual harassment in the workplace, tortious interference with a business relationship, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The recent disciplinary action against Dr. Barrazueta is the latest in a series of allegations against the troubled medical center reported by news media to be true. Last year, the Guardian reported that Dr. Barrazueta admitted to using drugs during a binge in Las Vegas. In messages to the same hospital vendor he was courting, the physician wrote about doing “too many drugs and drank too much” in Las Vegas.
Last month, Dr. Barrazueta was employed for about a month at an orthopedic center in Arizona called “Fitzmore Hand Institute.” When initially contacted by former patients concerned about Barrazueta’s history, Fitzmore initially stood by Barrazueta by calling the allegations “false” and saying the Guardian’s reporting was a “tabloid outlet involved a large lawsuit because of several articles …. attacking doctors at this hospital….” (Editor’s note: The Guardian is not involved in any lawsuit, refutes the notion of being called a “tabloid,” and would like to note that the state medical board found Barrazueta guilty of the allegations the Guardian reported, where Barrazueta admitted to the claims).
Adena Health System’s public relations team has refused to comment on the allegations. Meanwhile, deputies continue to field multiple criminal reports against numerous doctors at the hospital. Last year, Adena’s Chief Executive, Jeff Graham, addressed the situation in an interview with a Columbus television station, calling it “sad” but dodging specific questions about Dr. Barrazueta. The hospital’s multiple scandals have led to questions about Graham’s leadership from many, including board members.
A message left with OSU seeking comment for this story as not immediately returned.
