Anchorage Daily News

Providence Alaska Medical Center has withdrawn hospital obstetric care privileges for Dr. Colleen Murphy, according to Murphy, a popular women's health advocate whose turbulent career has often made local headlines.

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Contacted by telephone Tuesday morning, Murphy, 52, confirmed that the hospital withdrew her privileges. "That's correct," she said.

Murphy was busy attending to patients just then and didn't want to comment further. Contacted later in the day, she said she still doesn't know all the details.

"I can elaborate when I have more information tomorrow," Murphy said. "I appreciate your interest."

A spokeswoman for Providence declined to confirm or deny the decision.

"Any matter involving privileges related to the medical staff is held in strict confidence, according to medical staff bylaws," said Becky Hultberg, regional director for communications and marketing at Providence Alaska. "At this point, we don't have anything further (to say)."

A call to Providence Alaska administrator Bruce Lamoureux wasn't returned Tuesday.

For the past three years, Murphy has also been prohibited from delivering babies at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage. The restriction followed a review of 10 deliveries Murphy performed at Alaska Regional in 2004. A hospital committee concluded that she failed to meet the minimum standard of care in five cases.

Soon after that decision, in spring, 2005, the Alaska State Medical Board voted to suspend Murphy's medical license. On review, an administrative law judge recommended overturning the board's decision, concluding that the state failed to show that Murphy was negligent or lacked professional judgment when delivering babies.

Four months after its initial action, the state board voted unanimously to reactivate Murphy's medical license and apologized for the board's previous actions.

After that meeting, Murphy said she believed the case showed that some doctors in the community were unwilling to accept alternative forms of obstetric care. She also acknowledged using vaginal delivery techniques that some doctors don't use and having a lower than average rate of Caesarean deliveries.

Most recently, Murphy was instrumental in proposing and winning state medical board approval in April of a measure that requires doctors to promptly notify the state whenever a hospital takes disciplinary action against them.

Hospitals under state jurisdiction are also required by law to inform the medical board within seven days of any restrictions imposed on physicians.

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