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Shar Kennett, 66, of Wayne was on duty in the emergency room at Overlook Medical Center in Summit when the patient was brought in with urgent "respiratory distress" on June 29, 2017, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.
Kennett failed to examine him and didn't order any diagnostics, "despite his parents' urgent requests for assistance," Platkin said on Thursday, April 18.
The patient died in the ER that night, he said.
Kennett, who graduated from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in 1990, has more than three decades of experience in the medical field, according to her online resume.
Questioned by a special committee of the state Board of Medical Examiners, Kennett denied that she'd failed to examine the victim and claimed she'd seen him twice, Platkin said.
She also admitted she hadn't spoken with the parents -- or any ER staff -- and didn't write up an evaluation until after the man had died, the attorney general said.
"Although Kennett claimed to have been under the impression that she had ordered diagnostic tests, she later acknowledged that this impression was mistaken and that she failed to order any diagnostic testing," he said.
The Board of Medical Examiners became aware of the incident when the patient’s mother filed a complaint against the physician in 2022, Platkin said.
The board subsequently accused Kennett guilty of gross negligence, malpractice, and incompetence, as well as "engaging in dishonesty, fraud, or deception" by claiming she'd properly evaluated the victim, he said.
Kennett agreed to a permanent retirement of her medical license to settle the charges, the attorney general said.
"The revocation is with prejudice, meaning Kennett is barred from applying for a license to practice medicine in New Jersey at any time in the future," he noted.
The agreement secured by New Jersey Deputy Attorney General Yudelka R. Felipe prohibits Kennett from ever charging, receiving, or sharing in any fee for professional services rendered by others in New Jersey.
It also precludes her from managing, overseeing, supervising, or influencing the practice of medicine or the provision of healthcare activities in the state, Platkin said.
“This is a heartbreaking case involving the death of a young man under circumstances that should never occur in a New Jersey emergency room,” the attorney general said.
“As we extend our sympathies to this young man’s family, we are ensuring appropriate action is taken to hold this physician accountable and prevent this from ever happening again,” he said.
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