An Army hospital in Hawaii said Friday it will begin notifying former patients of a gynecologist who is under criminal investigation for allegedly filming women during examinations.
The gynecologist, Dr. Blaine McGraw, worked at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii from June 2019 to June 2023, the hospital said. He had recently been practicing at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at the Fort Hood military base in Texas.
The announcement from Tripler that it plans to reach out to McGraw’s former patients comes five weeks after Fort Hood officials suspended McGraw and a criminal probe was launched.
The first batch of letters are expected to go out sometime Friday, according to a source familiar with the matter. The number of patients has not been finalized, but it could be more than 1,500, the source said.
It’s not yet known how many, if any, are victims of the crimes being investigated.
“I am writing to inform you of an investigation involving a previous healthcare provider in training that served in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) from June 2019 to June 2023,” opens the letter signed by the hospital’s commander, Col. William Bimson, according to a copy obtained by NBC News. “We understand this news may be concerning, and we want to assure you that your safety, privacy, and trust remain our highest priorities.”
The letter goes on to explain how to contact Army investigators and reach out to Tripler for support.
In a news release, Tripler said the former patients will be provided with resources to “learn about the investigation, file concerns, get answers to questions, and arrange medical care and other support.”
Daniel Conway, an attorney for McGraw, criticized the way the investigation is being conducted, saying in a statement that he’s concerned “law enforcement” is “blindly sending out thousands of letters — even in cases previously resolved.”
Conway added: “The manner in which CID is conducting this investigation is a recipe for misinformation, sensationalized reporting, and an unfair process for Dr. McGraw.”
McGraw is the subject of a lawsuit filed earlier this month by one of his former patients at Fort Hood accusing him of recording intimate videos of her without her knowledge. The woman, who is married to an active-duty service member with more than 20 years in uniform, filed the lawsuit under the name Jane Doe to protect her identity.
The lawsuit alleges that there are scores of additional victims of McGraw’s misconduct and accuses Army leadership of allowing him to continue practicing despite complaints about him that dated back years. It also accuses McGraw of inappropriate touching, crude remarks and performing unnecessary medical procedures on multiple patients.
Col. Mark Jacques, the commander of Darnall Army Medical Center, told NBC News earlier this month that he had sent letters to more than 1,400 of McGraw’s patients informing them of the investigation.