Newborn sent to NICU after Visalia OB-GYN gross negligence, medical board says

FRESNO, Calif. (KGPE/KSEE) – A newborn was sent to NICU after a Visalia OB-GYN failed to check their fetal heart and inaccurately recommended a C-section due to her patient’s weight and height – the medical board says she is temporarily suspended from practicing.

On July 14, 2020, around 7 a.m., officials say M.D. Katherine Amelia Overton of Family Health Care Network assumed care of a pregnant patient in labor; however, she did not visit the patient’s bedside until 6:48 p.m.

Officials say this was the only time Overton saw the patient. During the visit, she allegedly failed to examine the patient and enter any clinical or progress notes on her chart.

According to court documents, she “merely looked at the patient and told her that she was too short and obese to deliver vaginally,” and would need a Cesarean. The patient was 5 feet tall and 177 pounds.

A new physician took over less than 15 minutes later at the request of the patient. The new physician, according to the medical board, found that fetal heart rate showed late decelerations, something Overton failed to check.

The medical board says despite Overton’s comments, the baby was born via normal spontaneous vaginal delivery around 10:24 p.m. However, because of the fetal heart rate’s variable decelerations, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team was called. They reported that the baby was pale, limp and unresponsive and had to be intubated and transported to the NICU. He was finally discharged home on July 24.

The medical board says that, due to Overton’s failure to perform a cervical check and examination, failure to acknowledge and manage the concerning fetal heart rate, her incorrect determination that the patient had a protracted labor and her recommendation of a Cesarean section because of the patient’s height and weight, they determined that her actions constituted gross negligence.

The board also determined that Overton’s failure to adequately communicate any information about the patient to the physician who assumed care and her failure to document any of her involvement in the patient’s care and treatment constituted negligence.

Overton’s license was placed on probation for four years starting Jan. 30, 2025, per officials.