Oregon Medical Board has revoked a doctor's license for refusing to wear a mask.
Steven Arthur LaTulippe owned a family practice and told patients that mask-wearing could cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
The board was informed by him that he will continue to reject COVID-19 guidelines, such as mask-wearing.
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A doctor in Oregon falsely claimed wearing masks could cause carbon monoxide poisoning. His license was revoked.
According to the records of the Oregon Medical Board, Steven Arthur LaTulippe was no longer permitted to practice as of September 2. LaTulippe was also fined $10,000.
The Oregon Medical Board conducted an investigation and found that LaTulippe had engaged in 8 instances of unprofessional conduct or dishonorable conduct. There were 22 instances of negligence in medicine practice, 5 instances gross negligence in medicine practice.
According to records, South View Medical Arts, LaTulippe’s family practice did not ask patients if they had ever been in close contact or tested positive for COVID-19. LaTulippe also requested that his receptionist screen patients for COVID-19 using their facial expressions, rather than asking them common screening questions.
According to medical records, he had instructed his receptionist "to look at [the] patient and just look at them and see whether they look sick." If the patient seemed happy and smiling, the receptionist was instructed ask the patient how they felt. The receptionist would ask the patient to wait in the waiting room if they indicated they felt fine and not ill.
The investigation found that neither LaTulippe nor his spouse, who co-owned the clinic, used a mask to treat patients between March 2020 and December 2020. According to the investigation, LaTulippe told patients that they did not have to wear a mask at the clinic unless they were "actively sick, coughing, or [or] congested."
The spread of coronavirus has been dramatically reduced by masks.
LaTulippe also stated that mask-wearing could be dangerous for elderly and children because it can worsen asthma and "cause or contribute" to many serious health conditions like strokes, collapsed lung, pneumonia, and other complications. Mask-wearing could also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, he claimed.
According to the investigation, LaTulippe believes that he has been a "strong asset to the public" in educating them about the facts of the pandemic.
In December 2020, the board had originally suspended LaTulippe's license. LaTulippe denied that he intended to follow COVID-19 protocols, such as mask-wearing.
The investigative report states that he made a decision between losing his medical licence and wearing a mask at his clinic and required his staff and patients to do the same. He "choosed to sacrifice his medical license without hesitation."
Investigators concluded that his decision to ignore COVID-19 guidelines, such as mask-wearing, was irresponsible. It also "actively promoted transmission by the COVID-19 virus in the extended community."
