510 Women Sue Chesapeake Regional Medical Center Over Alleged Unnecessary Surgeries

Five hundred ten women have sued Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and three of its senior executives, alleging that a doctor at the Virginia hospital performed medically unnecessary surgeries, including C-sections and sterilizations without consent, over nearly a decade. The plaintiffs are seeking $10 million each.

The lawsuit names the former gynecologist Javaid Perwaiz, who is serving a 59-year prison sentence after being convicted of health care fraud tied to medically unnecessary surgeries and whose medical license expired in 2020. Federal investigators found he falsified records to induce early labor, backdated consent forms in violation of a Medicaid rule, and billed more than $18 million to Medicaid from 2010 to 2019; the plaintiffs, most of whom are Black and covered by Medicaid, say many were sterilized or operated on under duress or without their knowledge.

The suit also names current chief executive James Reese Jackson and two predecessors, Peter Francis Bastone and Wynn Lawton Dixon Jr., and alleges the executives repeatedly renewed Perwaiz's hospital privileges despite staff complaints. Mr. Bastone said, "I have no recollection of what you’re talking about," and Mr.

Dixon said he knew Perwaiz delivered babies and did other surgeries on Saturdays but that "that was kind of laughed at," adding he was not responsible for credentialing. Hospital officials did not respond to a request for comment and Mr. Jackson was not available.

Key Topics

Health, Chesapeake Regional, Javaid Perwaiz, Medicaid, C-sections, Sterilizations