Transsexual Road Map > Films
and Books > BBL Clearinghouse > The Anne Who Would
Be Queen > 1997
Incident > Lawrence's response
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Transsexual Road Map > Films
and Books > BBL Clearinghouse > The Anne Who Would
Be Queen > 1997
Incident > Lawrence's response
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The Anne Who Would Be Queen: 1997 letter to investigators Below is best available copy of the text and scan of the response by Anne Lawrence to investigators regarding a 31 March 1997 incident which led Lawrence to resign as an anesthesiologist from Swedish Health Services in Seattle. The State of Washington Department of Health initiated an investigation through their Health Professions Quality Assurance Commission as case number 97-05-0042MD. Anne A. Lawrence, M.D. [stamped] Received Aug 26 1997 Investigations August 25, 1997 Virginia Renz, Investigator Re: File Number 97-05-0042MD Dear Ms. Renz: As you requested, I am writing to provide the Medical Commission with a statement
detailing my examination of a patient without consent, and my reasons for resigning
my clinical privileges at Swedish Hospital. Before I address the specifics of
your request, I would like to provide you with some background information which
may help to place those events in context. I have been in private practice as an anesthesiologist in Seattle for nearly
20 years. I was certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 1978, at
age 27 – a bit younger than most. From 1978 to 1980, I practiced at Group
Health Hospital, then left to join Associated Anesthesiologists. I served as
an employee and director of that professional corporation until 1994, when we
merged with Physicians Anesthesia Service, my employer until April of 1997.
During those 17 years, I practiced primarily at Swedish Hospital. I served terms
as president of Associated Anesthesiologists, an as clinical Chief in South
Surgery at Swedish. I also served on the Equipment and Quality Assurance committees
in my department. My colleagues would probably tell you that I’m a meticulous
clinician with a conservative practice style, and that I’m a good teacher. Virginia Renz, August 25, 1997 page 2 I married in December of 1987. My spouse was woman I had known for many years,
but our marriage was rocky from the start. Our son, [edited] was born
in October, 1988, and our daughter, [edited] in March, 1990. My spouse
and I stayed together in an empty marriage, mostly for the sake of our children,
until the summer of 1995. [… approximately 3 lines of text removed…] My divorce became
final in October of 1996. [… approximately 2 lines of text removed…]
This was met with a mixture of reactions by my colleagues. A few of them were
supportive, but I also encountered significant resistance. [… approximately
2 lines of text removed…] My children, now seven and eight years old, [… approximately 2 lines
of text removed…] They have been my single most important source of
encouragement during the difficulties I have faced in the last two years. Now, to address your specific questions: On March 31, 1997, I administered
anesthesia to a patient scheduled for a hysterectomy. My patient was a 41 year
old Ethiopian woman, and her attending gynecologist was Dr. Yolanda Richardson.
After the patient was anesthetized, she was placed in lithotomy position. The
nurse in the room noted that the woman’s pubic area has been shaved, and
she commented on this. I asked Dr. Richardson whether, given the patient’s
cultural background, she might have been circumcised. Dr, Richardson told me
that she had not been. Following this conversation, Dr. Richardson left the
room to scrub for the procedure. To confirm the information Dr. Richardson had given me, I walked to the foot
of the table and performed a brief visual examination of the patient. I placed
my gloved right hand on the patient’s lower abdomen, but I did not otherwise
touch her. All of this occurred in full view of the other staff personnel in
the room; none of them made any comment. I returned to the head of the table
and resumed my routine care of the patient. Her surgery went well, and I thought
no further about the matter until April 3. Virginia Renz, August 25, 1997 page 3 Three days after the event, the nurse and scrub technician who had been in
the room with me filed an incident report. This was brought to my attention
during a meeting with Kate Rogers, the head of Surgical Nursing; Dr. Lee Norman,
Senior Vice President for Medical Staff Affairs at Swedish; and my Department
Chair, Dr. Paul Zievers. I immediately recognized my lapse in judgment, and
accepted responsibility for my conduct. I felt awful. Dr. Norman expressed concern
that, given my recent gender transition, word of the incident could potentially
become public. I was concerned about the effect such publicity could have on
my young children, on the reputation of the hospital, on the privacy of my patient,
and on me professionally. Under the circumstances, I decided that the best course for me was to resign
from the staff of Swedish. I knew that my clinical competence was not in question.
But I feared that regardless of the outcome of peer review action, word of the
incident and investigation would undermine my working relationships, and my
ability to function professionally. Defending myself would have been emotionally
arduous, and I honestly didn’t know if I could handle the stress. I knew
that the peer review process was supposed to be confidential, but I believed
there was still the risk of a leak to the press. The prospect of media coverage
of the incident, […several words edited…] was a significant
concern for me. I was also very concerned about my children, and was unwilling
to risk negative publicity and its potential effect on them. I retained legal
counsel, and my attorney advised me of the consequences of resignation under
these circumstances, including the Data Bank report, and eventual investigation
by the Medical Commission. I now sometimes ask myself whether it would have
been better to have fought for my privileges, and sometimes I think so; but
I’m honestly not sure. [… approximately 2 lines of text removed…] Our
work together has helped me to better understand my conduct during the incident,
and the factors which contributed to it. [… approximately 2 lines of
text removed…] I regret that I allowed my professional judgement to lapse. I have accepted responsibility for my conduct, and have tried to use this incident and its aftermath as an opportunity to grow personally. I am thankful that my clinical competence was not called into question, and that the incident did not cause any harm to my patient. Virginia Renz, August 25, 1997 page 4 I do not have specific plans for my professional future. My employment with
Physicians Anesthesia Service ended automatically when I resigned my clinical
privileges at Swedish Hospital. I practiced anesthesiology for over 20 years,
and I feel that perhaps a change might be for the best. Among the options I
am considering are residency programs in other medical specialties. Until my
future becomes more clear, I plan to continue my education as a helping professional.
In October I am scheduled to begin training at the Institute for the Advanced
Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco. You have asked about a few other matters. I am licensed only in the state of
Washington. Having resigned my privileges at Swedish, I do not now hold staff
privileges at any health care facility. Prior to my resignation, I held privileges
only at Swedish; but I have in the past held privileges at Medical Dental Hospital
and St. Cabrini Hospital, during the years my corporation provided anesthesia
services there. Other than the incident that gave rise to my resignation, I
have never had any peer review or quality assurance actions involving my professional
practice or privileges. At your request, I am enclosing my current Curriculum Vitae, and verification
of my last three years of Continuing Medical Education. Sincerely,
Notes on documentation These scans are the best available copy from Washington State's Health Professions Quality Assurance Commission. Areas in white appear to be emendations made in the dossier at the request of Anne Lawrence and/or her lawyers. These are indicated by [... bracketed ellipses...] in the transcripts. Areas in gray have been edited by me to protect certain aspects of Dr. Lawrence’s privacy, and are also indicated in the transcripts below. These documents have been transcribed verbatim, including any errors in the originals. Please report any inadvertent transcription errors by contacting me. |
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