Florida Department of Health investigating doctor accused of recording women in bathroom

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The Florida Department of Health is now investigating a Jacksonville doctor accused of secretly recording women in the bathroom.

Action News Jax broke the story in June that the State Attorney's Office is considering charges against Dr. Manpreet Grewal, who has been connected to three local hospitals.

The state agency that controls doctors’ licenses is now investigating the colorectal surgeon, according to a Florida Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance Investigator who called Action News Jax reporter Jenna Bourne on Friday morning.

Grewal resigned from North Florida Surgeons in May.

Grewal worked in an office rented by North Florida Surgeons at St. Vincent’s Southpoint in the Joe Adams building.

Attorney John Phillips’ client, a female employee in Grewal’s office, reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office that she was there when a cellphone was found in a staff bathroom.

“This is recording of genitalia in the most private moment, basically, in a human being’s day. Even husbands and wives close the door before they, you know, defecate or urinate,” said Phillips.

Phillips’ client told JSO the phone was returned to Grewal, according to the police report.

“Now we don’t know what happened to it from the time that it was found by somebody else in the clinic to the time it was returned,” said Phillips.

Phillips worries Grewal had the opportunity to destroy any potential evidence on that phone.

The JSO report said Phillips’ client also told JSO, “she was told another camera was discovered in the patient room where Dr. Grewal performed colonoscopies.”

North Florida Surgeons’ attorney Rick Reznicsek told Action News Jax in June that the company hired an independent forensics firm instead of going to police.

Rezniczek said the private firm did not find any recording devices.

Reznicsek said North Florida Surgeons did not report the incident to the Florida Department of Health.

The Department of Health investigator told Action News Jax she was assigned to the investigate Grewal on Thursday night.

She said she spoke to Grewal on Friday.

Grewal’s attorney Rick Ramsey denied that a Department of Health investigator has contacted his client.

Grewal has not returned Action News Jax’s calls asking for his side of the story.

Grewal did his residency at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville from 2005 to 2010.

Grewal’s website says he has staff memberships at St. Vincent’s HealthCare and Baptist Medical Center Beaches.

“We remain committed to the privacy and safety of those we serve. The individual referenced is not employed by our health system, and we immediately took steps to ensure he’s not providing care at any of our facilities, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Our health system remains a safe place for our patients and we will continue to investigate this alleged incident,” said St. Vincent’s HealthCare spokesman Kyle Sieg in an email to Action News Jax.

Baptist Health spokesperson Cindy Hamilton said Grewal had staff membership there, but resigned last month.

Hamilton said Baptist Health did not know about the accusations until Action News Jax called.

Cox Media Group