Surgeon in court video call while operating
Judge has concerns; medical board to look into incident
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Medical Board of California said it would investigate a plastic surgeon who appeared in a videoconference for his traffic violation trial while operating.
The Sacramento Bee reports Dr. Scott Green appeared Thursday for his Sacramento Superior Court trial, held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic, from an operating room. He was dressed in surgical scrubs with a patient undergoing the procedure just out of view; the beeps of medical machinery can be heard in the background.
“Hello, Mr. Green? Hi. Are you available for trial?” asked a courtroom clerk as an officer summoned to appear in trial raised her eyebrows. “It kind of looks like you’re in an operating room right now?”
“I am, sir,” Green replied. “Yes, I’m in an operating room right now. Yes, I’m available for trial. Go right ahead.”
The clerk reminded Green the proceedings were being livestreamed because traffic trials are required by law to be open to the public, and Green said he understood. He appeared to continue working with his head down while waiting for Court Commissioner Gary Link to enter the chamber.
When Link appeared and saw the doctor on the screen, the judge hesitated to proceed with the trial out of concern for the welfare of the patient.
“I have another surgeon right here who’s doing the surgery with me, so I can stand here and allow them to do the surgery also,” Green said.
The judge said he didn’t think it was appropriate to conduct trial under the circumstances. He told Green he’d rather set a new date for trial “when you’re not actively involved or participating and attending to the needs of a patient.”
Green apologized.
“Sometimes, surgery doesn’t always go as,” he said before the judge interrupted him.
“It happens. We want to keep people healthy, we want to keep them alive. That’s important,” Link said.
The board said it would look into the incident, saying it “expects physicians to follow the standard of care when treating their patients.”
A call seeking comment from Green has not been returned.
Detroit Metro Airport was named one of the best in North America for its customer experience by a nonprofit organization representing the world’s airports.
Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Chad Newton called it “a great honor” to be recognized as one of the best airports in the world for the second time in three years, especially during the pandemic.
The airport has earned the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality Award for airports with 25 to 40 million passengers per year, one of the highest honors in the aviation
industry.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport also was named.
The award, the council said, was based on surveys gathered from travelers at nearly 400 airports worldwide. The survey considers airport cleanliness, wayfinding and the courtesy and helpfulness of airport staff.
According to the survey, Metro Airport showed improvement over the last year. The most significant included restroom cleanliness, wait times, passport inspection, and feeling safe and secure.
The surveyed travelers also noted the efficiency and courtesy of airport staff.
In response to the pandemic, the Airport Authority added safety measures to protect customers, including acrylic barriers, face covering dispensers and hand sanitizing stations.
The council’s Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira praised Metro Airport, saying, the “customers have spoken” and the airport has provided “a superior customer experience under very trying circumstances during the pandemic.”
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