LAVONIA, Ga. — A northeast Georgia surgeon was arrested at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia after allegedly confronting a patient in her hospital room, officials said.
The Lavonia Police Department said officers were called to the hospital around 6 p.m. on Jan. 8th in response to a reported disturbance involving a physician and a patient who had undergone surgery earlier that day.
According to the police incident report, the patient told officers she was recovering in her room when she spoke by phone with her surgeon, identified as Steven Muscoreil, about concerns related to the procedure. She reported that Muscoreil became angry during the call and raised his voice.
Police said that shortly after the phone conversation ended, Muscoreil arrived at the patient’s room in person. The patient reported that when he entered, he charged toward her in an aggressive manner, got close to her face, and began yelling loudly. She told officers he shook his finger inches from her face and spoke loudly enough for staff outside the room to hear.
The patient said she moved her head away because she believed she was about to be struck and feared she was in immediate danger of being hurt.
Eyewitnesses
Two nurses who witnessed the incident corroborated the patient’s account, police said. One nurse, who was inside the room at the time, told officers that “Muscoreil’s behavior appeared aggressive” and that she “believed he was about to hit the patient”. The nurse said she physically intervened and pushed him away to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Both nurses described Muscoreil as extremely angry during the encounter. They declined to provide written statements or additional identifying information, citing instructions from legal counsel, according to the report.
The patient also told police she was afraid Muscoreil could return to her room because she was hospitalized and unable to leave following surgery.
Based on statements from the patient and witnesses, police determined there was probable cause to arrest Muscoreil on a charge of simple assault. The arresting officer noted that immediate action was necessary due to Muscoreil’s access to the patient and the potential for continued intimidation.
Muscoreil was taken into custody at the hospital and arrested on the simple assault charge. He was released the following morning.
According to WSB-TV, the hospital issued a statement saying Muscoreil was not a hospital employee and “is no longer providing care at our facility.” A hospital spokesperson said they could not provide further comment.
