California cardiologist sentenced to 3 years for sexually assaulting sedated patient
A cardiologist in Salinas, California, was sentenced to three years in prison this week after pleading guilty to claims he sexually assaulted a sedated patient after a cardiac catheterization procedure in 2016, the San Francisco Chronicle has reported.
The woman, who spoke in court Wednesday, Aug. 29, said she was under the influence of several medications when her physician, Robert Wlodarczyk, 73, started touching her breasts. She said she remembered the doctor’s face being “very close” to her while he walked her through her heart procedure, but wasn’t aware Wlodarczyk was touching her because she was sedated.
Two hospital employees reported the event, during which they said Wlodarczyk put his hands on the patient’s breasts for around 30 seconds after her procedure.
Wlodarczyk won’t be able to make contact with the patient for at least a decade, according to the Chronicle. He’ll also have to permanently relinquish his medical license.
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After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.