Moses Lake doctor is put on probation

MOSES LAKE — The state Department of Health (DOH) medical commission placed the license of a Moses Lake physician on probation for three years.

Dr. Irene Kimivo Kimura allegedly mismanaged a patient when diagnosing her with asthmatic bronchitis. Kimura is also charged with failing to consider and evaluate the patient’s pre-existing heart condition, symptoms, or vital statistics resulting in the patient’s death.

Kimura works at Comprehensive Family Care in Moses Lake. There is no evidence she has been disciplined in the past by DOH commissioners, according to the state.

“Dr. Kimura has and continues to feel that she managed her patient according to the appropriate standard of care,” said Steve Lamberson, Kimura’s attorney with the Spokane law firm Etter, McMahon, Lamberson, Clary & Oreskovich, P.C. “Dr. Kimura elected to defend herself at the hearing and had two physician witnesses that are specialists in critical care, testify on her behalf, saying she managed the patient appropriately.”

On April 27, 2007, an 83-year-old patient was admitted to the emergency room at Samaritan Healthcare, complaining of fatigue and a cough. Kimura, the patient’s primary care provider, assumed care of the patient the following morning, according to state records.

Kimura had her own family practice in Moses Lake at the time.

Kimura diagnosed the patient with asthmatic bronchitis and treated her accordingly. The patient died a week later from “acute abdominal hemorrhage caused by a dissecting hematoma of the urinary bladder while on Lovenox therapy,” according to DOH documents.

“In medicine there are unfortunate outcomes, but just because there is a bad outcome doesn’t mean the doctor did something wrong,” Lamberson said. “Dr. Kimura had been caring for this person for several years and was very sad and remorseful when the patient passed away. She was a friend and patient.”

Kimura filed a petition for judicial review last week to appeal the probation decision.

“She is continuing to practice and has a lot of patients that want her to continue to be their physician,” Lamberson said. “Dr. Kimura is an important member of the health care community.”