The Chief Medical Officer of the LBJ Hospital, Dr. Joseph Shumway, declares that he did not experience a mental breakdown as stated by the Chairman of the Board of the LBJ Hospital, Dr. Malouamaua Tuiolosega at a Senate hearing earlier this week.
Dr. Tuiolosega told the Senate Health Committee on Tuesday that Dr. Shumway found the workload overwhelming and faced a mental breakdown. This led to his statements in the media that the recent measles cases were fake and an attempt to obtain federal funding.
Dr. Shumway, who was suspended last week because of his statements, has refuted the board chairman’s statement that he had a mental breakdown.
He shared with KHJ News an email to the Senate where he says that for the past four weeks he has endured an ongoing campaign of “toxic lies intended to assassinate […][his] reputation.”
He said, “Such intentional and false information given to the Board and the public (without any fact checking) is “irresponsible” and this effort has been led by the Board chairman Dr. Tuiolosega, and “the Board has kept silent.”
In his email, Dr. Shumway said he has tried to seek reconciliation but has learned that his termination has already been decided by the LBJ Board.
“I was to be fired yesterday apparently,” he wrote.
Dr. Shumway told KHJ News that he is in perfect health. “I am feeling fine. I have no past or current history of any mental health issues.”
Regarding the statement by Dr. Tuiolosega to senators that he had a mental breakdown, Dr. Shumway said, “Spreading a lie that I had a “mental breakdown” was quite bold. There is no truth to this.” He described it as “a malicious and deceptive lie” that Dr. Tuiolosega and Dr. Jean Anderson “have deviously inserted into the media. I am in perfect health.”
Dr. Shumway showed photos of himself on a hike with family members to indicate that there’s nothing wrong with his health.
