UCLA doctor suspended after allegations of sexual harassment at prior job
A doctor at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center had his medical license suspended due to allegations of sexual harassment when he worked at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.(Daily Bruin file photo)
By Teddy Rosenbluth
May 31, 2018 2:52 p.m.
A UCLA cardiologist had his medical license suspended due to allegations of sexual harassment when he worked at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.
An administrative law judge ruled this week that Guillermo Andres Cortes, a doctor at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and former doctor at the L.A. County-USC Medical Center, would pose an immediate risk to to the public if he continued his work as a physician in California.
The Medical Board of California’s petitions outlined three allegations of sexual harassment from unidentified women.
The medical board opened an investigation in February after Meena Zareh, a former USC cardiology resident, accused Cortes of cornering her in a hospital room and assaulting her in 2015.
Cortes was placed on leave from the LA County-USC Medical Center in November 2015 but was allowed to return to work at USC in May 2016. Cortes left the USC hospital in June 2017 and joined the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center four months later.
Phil Hampton, a UCLA Health spokesperson, said that the university was not aware of the allegations when Cortes was hired. Hampton said that Cortes was placed on paid administrative leave but did not say when or why.
The medical board will decide whether Cortes’ license should remain suspended at a hearing June 15.
