Commentary

July 17th, 2008

Correction and Retraction

In two articles published by The Paper, on March 20, 2008 and July 3, 2008, concerning allegations concerning Michael H. Covert, president and CEO of Palomar Pomerado Health District, it was reported that Mr. Covert was executive director of the Ohio State University Hospital system at the time Dr. Michael Swango, convicted later as a serial murderer, and had ignored staff warnings about serious medical improprieties conducted by Dr. Swango and that he, Mr. Covert, took no action. That information, we have since learned by additional research, is incorrect. Dr. Swango left Ohio State University Hospital in June, 1984. Mr. Covert assumed his duties as executive director on July 1, 1985, after Dr. Swango had left.

The Paper regrets the error and retracts those comments. We apologize. As to all other elements of both stories, The Paper stands by as being an accurate accounting of factual occurences.