Hospital reports  Scott Tuning to law
enforcement and state licensing board

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

Just short of six months after beginning his job as Emergency Medical Services Director at Harney District Hospital (HDH), Scott Tuning resigned under a cloud of controversy involving charges of tampering with drug records as well as theft.

HDH Chief Executive Officer Jim Bishop said, “The instant we found out there was potential for drug misuse within the hospital, we went into high gear.” Bishop said that within 48 hours, the situation was resolved.

Bishop noted that Tuning’s resignation contained many conditions, one of which was that the hospital would report him to law enforcement officials as well as the state licensing organization that handles EMS and paramedic licenses.

As a result of the hospital’s report, Tuning was arrested on Nov. 12 by the Harney County Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of a controlled substance (morphine); tampering with drug records; theft in the second degree and official misconduct in the first degree. Possession of a controlled substance and the tampering with drug records charges are considered class C felonies, while the other two counts are class A misdemeanors.

According to Harney County District Attorney Tim Colahan, Tuning’s case will be presented to a grand jury sometime within the next week. If the jury considers there to be sufficient evidence, an indictment will be filed in circuit court.

Because this is an ongoing investigation, Sheriff Dave Glerup said there was little information he could release at this time.
Hospital CEO Bishop said that in the interim, hospital Chief Clinical Officer Ron Wulff will step in and take over Tuning’s position. Several hospital nurses also have the education and training to go on ambulance calls if need be.

Bishop also said that the hospital is using this as an educational opportunity. “Often these things will go on for months. We feel really bad. He had great potential,” Bishop said of Tuning, “but we have no tolerance for that.”

Tuning, who originally came from Colorado, was hired in May of this year to replace Tim Peck as the EMS Director at Harney District Hospital.

Bishop noted that it was because of the hospital’s current practices and procedures that information regarding a potential theft was brought to light. However, he noted that as the hospital searches for a new EMS director, it will take a look at how abuses of power occur to curtail a similar situation from happening in the future.