Editor’s Note: While the information below was obtained from public court record, a decision was made to use the Plaintiff’s initials in this article due to the sensitive nature of the health matters.
An Effingham County woman is suing Effingham Hospital/Effingham Health System, three physicians and a number of affiliated medical groups alleging that a series of failures over nearly a year transformed what began as a treatable inflammatory bowel disease into a catastrophic medical tragedy that left a wife and mother of two permanently disabled.
The lawsuit, brought by M.G. and her husband H.G., alleges professional negligence, lack of informed consent, respondeat superior liability, and loss of consortium. The 74-page filing details the devastating decline of M.G’s health under the care of the named parties.
It also contends that top administrators are “highly motivated” by financial incentives and that hospital decisions are efforts by administrators to “gain financial footing” after the hospital was forced to pay the largest hospital drug diversion civil penalty in U.S. history back in 2018 after a DOJ investigation into the illegal diversion of opioids.
The Case
Prior to January 2024, M.G. was a healthy, active wife and mother of two teenagers, as well as a 19-year employee of a Savannah-based company. She had never previously required hospitalization aside from the births of her children and remained active with work, family activities, youth sports, camping trips, and travel.
The timeline below was created based on the details as outlined in the lawsuit.
January 17, 2024 – M.G. arrived in the emergency room at Effingham Hospital with significant gastrointestinal issues, including persistent blood in her stool, abdominal distress, and heart palpitations. M.G. was discharged without a diagnostic workup for the gastro bleeding. She was referred to Dr. Robert Wynn, a general surgeon who also served as Chief of Surgery and Chief Medical Officer at Effingham Hospital. He is also the registered agent and Chief Financial Officer for Southern Surgical Providers P.C. The lawsuit asserts that Wynn receives more money when he performs more procedures at Effingham Hospital, subsequent to him earning more money for the hospital.
“He often keeps patients who should otherwise be referred to specialists so that he can make additional money. On information and belief, he did this with M.G.,” the suit reads.
January 24, 2024 – M.G. followed up with Dr. Wynn at his office, explained her gastro issues, including bloody stools. He recommended a colonoscopy and an upper endoscopy.
February 4, 2024 – M.G. undergoes a colonoscopy but it’s terminated early “due to friable (active inflammation) tissue and active disease” – usually caused by Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, or some kind of infection. Wynn prescribed prednisone.
May 21, 2024 – M.G. returns to Wynn’s office with “a colitis flare,” which he treats with more prednisone.
June 18, 2024 – M.G. visits Wynn’s office, noting the bleeding returned when she tapered off the drugs. He ordered another colonoscopy, citing her having noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis.” He prescribed a medication (Asacol) that had been discontinued by the FDA in 2023 – over a year before he prescribed it.
July 8, 2024 – Wynn performed another colonoscopy, which showed inflammation and ulcerations throughout the rectum and colon. Wynn wrote that she had moderate ulcerative colitis that was not responsive to prednisone. The lawsuit states that Wynn and the two other doctors named in the suit continued providing M.G. with prednisone and increased her dose.
Though M.G. was still bleeding and suffering with ‘dozens of bowel movements a day’ along with intestinal cramps and pain around the clock, no further treatment options were explored.
August 4, 2024 – M.G.’s colon has dilated to a dangerous level, indicating a likelihood of toxic mega-colon and potential perforation – which can lead to sepsis. “Despite the warning signs, nothing was done to explore whether she had toxic megacolon or whether it had torn open.” She was released from the E.R.
August 7, 2024 – M.G. returned to the hospital and was admitted. Her skin was discolored, she was in immense pain, was having 30 bowel movements a day, and had dangerously low platelet numbers, white blood cell count, and potassium levels.
Wynn never referred M.G. to a gastroenterologist and never consulted with a gastroenterologist, and he has never worked in gastroenterology. Even when admitted to the hospital, an on-call gastro was not contacted.
Instead, M.G. was treated by Dr. Bernardino Villescas, a hospitalist and internal medicine doctor who is also the Chief of Medicine. He documented her life-threatening condition and noted decreased appetite, intractable dry heaving, and more. Villescas wrote that M.G. was prescribed a medication that was denied by insurance, often times when it is not prescribed by a gastroenterologist.
August 13, 2024 – M.G.’s condition continued to worsen. A CT scan revealed impending toxic megacolon – a medical emergency.
M.G. was hospitalized for 21 days and treated only by Dr. Wynn, Dr. Villescas, and Dr. Curro. A gastroenterologist was not consulted and they did not recommend transferring M.G. to another facility.
August 28, 2024 – M.G. was discharged.
September 2, 2024 – M.G. returned to the ER with 10/10 pain levels and a distended abdomen. Her colon dilation had worsened and she was shaking uncontrollably. The three doctors did not check to see if her colon had ruptured and for 30 hours, fecal matter spilled into her abdominal cavity where it “infected and destroyed her insides.”
September 3, 2024 – M.G. was septic and Dr. Wynn removed her colon, leaving her with an ostomy bag. Her condition continued to worsen as the surgical site was contaminated, leading to necrosis, sepsis, and mesh infection.
M.G. was hospitalized for weeks, received insufficient nutrition, and suffered hip, pelvic, and spinal breaks due to brittleness, among other things. Through December 28, 2024 – more than 11 months – M.G. was not recommended for a gastroenterologist, even as doctors began to disagree on what was causing M.G’s issues.
December 28, 2024 – M.G. was transferred to Wellstar MCG Health in August and immediately admitted into ICU for mixed cardiogenic shock (when your heart cannot pump enough blood) and septic shock. She lost consciousness and required a ventilator.
February 27, 2025 – M.G’s right midshaft arm, most of her right foot, and her left foot were all amputated due to dry gangrene. She went on to develop sepsis on her mouth and face.
At the time of the filing of the suit, M.G.
- had been in a medical facility for over 600 days.
- has an open cavity in her abdomen that is often infected.
- cannot eat food and must be fed through an IV.
- had a permanent ostomy bag.
- cannot manage the ostomy bag by herself because it requires two hands.
- developed pressure sores on her head and spine.
- suffers from phantom pain from the amputations.
- requires IV pain medication throughout the day.
- cannot walk.
- suffers from major depressive disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder due to medical trauma, with frequent nightmares.
- cannot work.
- cannot live with her family because she requires around the clock care.
Additionally, her husband works full-time, cares for their two children, and spends evenings and weekends with M.G. at her facility.
Supplements to the Filing
The filing includes a number of photos detailing M.G.’s life before and after her illness and subsequent complications, as well as photos of the conditions that led to M.G’s amputations.
The filing includes a sworn affidavit from a doctor certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery for the purpose of offering a medical opinion in support of the malpractice action.
“It is my opinion that Dr. Wynn’s failure to engage gastroenterology sooner, and his mismanagement of M.G’s colitis without clarity on Crohn’s vs UC were each a deviation and a gross deviation from the standard of care employed by general surgeons in similar conditions and like surrounding circumstances….It is also my opinion, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, that Dr. Wynn’s failures more likely than not resulted in M.G’s development of toxic megacolon, perforations and her colectomy and post-surgical infections.”
Another affidavit from a Hospitalist at Duke University Health System and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke Regional Hospital was included and stated the same.
The suit seeks a jury trial, that the doctors and hospital be held liable for M.G’s injuries and damages, that she be compensated for her mental and physical pain, that her medical expenses (past and future) be awarded along with any lost wages, that her husband be awarded an appropriate amount for his losses, and any other relief the court sees fit.
Named in the lawsuit:
- Dr. Robert Alexander Wynn
- Dr. Bernardino Villescas
- Dr. Christopher Curro
- Effingham Hospital Inc.
- Southern Surgical Providers P.C.
- Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia – Atlanta
- Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia – East Point
- Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia – Savannah
- Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia – TCG
- Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia – TCS
- Cogent Healthcare of Georgia
- Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc.
- Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C.
- Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia P.C.
- Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C.
M.G. is represented by Savannah-based attorney Brent Savage and E. Greg Gilluly Jr. of Savage, Turner, Pinckney, Savage, Sprouse & Gilluly.
