State withdraws charge against Tri-Cities doctor

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A state medical board has withdrawn allegations of unprofessional conduct against a Tri-Cities doctor after completing relevant courses.

The Washington State Department of Health announced this week that the charges against Dr. Jared Guenter Wolfert have been dropped.

State health documents from November 2021 claimed Wolfert, a doctor and osteopathic surgeon, had not tested for heart problems in a 58-year-old man who visited the Tri-Cities emergency room in 2018 and died a few days later from cardiac arrest.

Her attorney, Peter Ritchie from Yakima, told the Tri-City Herald in February that they were disputing the allegations.

This new decision by the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery was taken in September “on the basis of further examination of the matter,” and signed in October by a deputy state attorney general.

The withdrawal order states that the action was taken “without prejudice”, which means that the case is not definitively closed and may be reconsidered in the future.

Ritchie could not be contacted by the Herald regarding the updated status of his client’s case.

An online supplier search shows that Wolfert’s license is active.

Wolfert had agreed to take two one-day or 16-hour continuing education courses on “Acute Coronary Syndrome Recognition; urgent management of chest pain; and cardio-thoracic emergency ”, according to a stipulation of informal disposition.

In entering into this agreement, Wolfert has not admitted any findings of unprofessional conduct or inability to practice.

Wolfert received a letter on October 20 saying that he was released from the requirements of the stipulation after completing the course.

“You have complied with the terms of the agreement,” wrote Brian York, compliance officer at the Office of Investigative and Legal Services. “We wish you good luck for the future.”

Patient death

Allegations made a year ago by the State Council indicated that in mid-November 2018, a man was brought to Kadlec by ambulance with back pain, unusual sweating and near loss of consciousness.

The man reported two similar episodes in the previous week and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and high blood pressure and had smoked for 30 years, according to the state.

Wolfert at the time was employed at the Kadlec Regional Medical Center under a contract with Team Health, which supplies emergency physicians and other healthcare professionals to healthcare facilities across the country.

Wolfert fired the man from the emergency room with a prescription for anti-inflammatory drugs and a prescription for a muscle relaxant for back pain, the state said.

Shortly after the patient was released from the emergency room, he went into cardiac arrest and died two days later.

Wolfert has been licensed to practice medicine in Washington State since 2010.

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Kristin M. Kraemer covers the justice system and crime issues for the Tri-City Herald. She was a journalist for over 20 years in Washington and California.

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