Cortez doctor on trial for his patient’s suicide

A jury will decide if a Southwest Memorial Hospital emergency room doctor was negligent two years ago when a Cortez man committed suicide.

A jury of six women and one man were impaneled late Monday afternoon to decide the malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Mark Turpen. The plaintiff claims Turpen was negligent in providing her husband with proper medical treatment June 9, 2010.

During his 40-minute opening statement, Plaintiff’s attorney said Turpen spent four minutes with his patient after Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office deputies, at the request of his wife and son, brought him into the hospital for a mental-health evaluation. The attorney said the suicide assessment should have taken at least an hour.

The patient had suffered from years of documented depression and twice tried to take his life during a four-month period in 2008. The plaintiff’s attorney said financial and family problems compounded the issue, making the situation worse during spring 2010.

During his seven-minute opening statement, defense counsel asked the jurors to rely on testimony and evidence presented during the five-day trial, rather than argumentative statements made by opposing counsel. He said the doctor’s own hand-written medical notes from the night in question reflect that he provided adequate care.

“What happened after the patient left the hospital is a tragedy,” Defense attorney told jurors, “but we can’t judge this case with hindsight.”

thanks to Tobie Baker and the Cortez Journal.