We received a slew of emails from angry readers after we wrote about a local medical professional being investigated by the state department of health last March.

So this time around, we’re being proactive: sometimes the Sounder is tasked with reporting a story that casts a community member in an unfortunate light. It is uncomfortable for all involved, but it never stops us from following the ethics of our profession: seek the truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable (Society of Professional Journalists).

This week we published a story about a San Juan Island chemical dependency professional who lost his license for inappropriate conduct. The Washington State Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance Commission made that ruling after reviewing the evidence.

The State Department of Health notifies newspapers about its investigations so the public is aware of and protected from poor or unethical health practitioners. This regulatory and professional oversight helps ensure quality health care for the public.

On its website, www.doh.wa.gov, the department regularly publishes allegations of misconduct and the disciplinary actions against health care practitioners. Typical offenses range from sexual relationships with patients to failing to properly treat a patient to stealing medication. Local newspapers, in turn, relay this information to their readers so it doesn’t pass unnoticed. Local patients of doctors disciplined by the state need to be apprised.

Medical misconduct is serious. That’s why the state has a Medical Quality Assurance Commission to protect public health and safety by assuring the competency and quality of physicians and physician assistants.

To not report on this story because it would embarrass those involved is completely antithetical to the code to which we prescribe. If your doctor was caught practicing in an unsound or ethical manner, wouldn’t you want to know?