The lawsuits follow numerous complaints made by victims to the Washington State Department of Health, and a state report finding patient and staff concerns were “dismissed” and “not taken seriously”
RICHLAND, WASHINGTON – Today, attorneys at Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC (“PCVA”) filed two lawsuits against Providence Health & Services – Washington, Kadlec Regional Medical Center, and Kadlec Clinic – Associated Physicians for Women, alleging the medical centers failed to take reasonable steps to protect patients from the danger of being sexually abused by Dr. Mark Mulholland. In addition to the two lawsuits filed today, two new complaints were made by victims of Dr. Mulholland to the Washington State Department of Health (“DOH”). The new lawsuits and formal DOH complaints follow a report released by the Washington State Medical Commission, detailing four separate complaints of sexual abuse made against Dr. Mulholland between 2022 and 2024.
As alleged in the complaint, despite receiving multiple complaints about Dr. Mulholland’s abuse of patients before, during, and after these plaintiffs’ sexual abuse – the medical centers dismissed the complaints, and permitted Dr. Mulholland’s sexual abuse to continue for years.
For instance, in 2017, a patient complained to a nurse at Kadlec about Dr. Mulholland after he examined her vagina without gloves on, restrained her from getting off the exam table by placing his hand on her pubic area and pushing her back down, and later grabbing the inner part of her thigh and telling her to relax. Further, in June 2023, another patient complained to a physician at Kadlec clinic about Dr. Mulholland after he made sexual comments to the patient and performed a vaginal and anal examination that left her in pain and bleeding for several days.
“Despite receiving multiple complaints about Dr. Mulholland sexually abusing his patients, these institutions failed to take action and allowed his abuse to continue,” said Mallory Allen, an attorney for the victims and partner at PCVA Law. “Unfortunately, this is part of a pattern we’ve seen time and again – people in positions of immense trust and power abusing others at their most vulnerable, while the institutions sworn to protect them fail to act. These lawsuits, in addition to numerous formal complaints to the Washington Department of Health, represent the first step towards justice for the survivors of Dr. Mulholland, who were subject to his sexual abuse while he was practicing as an OBGYN for over a decade.”
Allen believes Dr. Mulholland likely used his position as a gynecologist to sexually abuse scores of women: “It appears Dr. Mulholland used his position as a gynecologist to sexually abuse patients under the guise of treatment. We are already hearing from women who learned about his patients coming forward and are now realizing he likely abused them, too. We anticipate that Dr. Mulholland may have abused numerous other patients, and encourage other potential survivors of his abuse to come forward.”
If you or someone you love may have been sexually abused by Dr. Mulholland, please contact us so they can learn their legal options. We have represented many clients who were sexually abused by a health care provider under the guise of “treatment.”
You can read the Tri-City Herald’s coverage of our clients’ cases by clicking here.
Dr. Mark Mulholland in the News
- 2 law suits filed against Washington hospitals over sexual misconduct by physician (My Northwest, July 30, 2025)
- Tri-Cities hospital sued for allegedly ignoring complaints of doctor sexual abuse (Tri-City Herald, July 29, 2025)
- Tri-Cities doctor accused of inappropriate, unwanted conduct with patients, staff (Tri-City Herald, June 20, 2025)
- Richland OB-GYN under investigation for alleged inappropriate conduct (NonStop Local NBC, June 18, 2025)