License revoked for Bellingham caregiver accused of stabbing woman in his care
A Bellingham man accused of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing an elderly woman he was a long-term caregiver for has had his medical license revoked.
The Washington State Department of Health permanently revoked the certified nursing assistant’s license of Joshua John McDonald, 30, on Oct. 13, according to state health department records. McDonald has no right to reapply in the state of Washington, the records show.
McDonald was charged April 25 with one count of attempted first-degree murder in Whatcom County Superior Court. His attempted murder charge includes the aggravating factor that McDonald knew or should have known that the victim was particularly vulnerable or incapable of resistance, according to court records.
McDonald is currently incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $1.5 million bail, court records show.
McDonald’s jury trial has tentatively been scheduled for Feb. 6, 2023 in the case, court records show.
The state health department had previously charged McDonald with unprofessional conduct in July because his alleged actions involved moral turpitude, dishonesty or corruption relating to the practice of a person’s profession, and because his alleged actions related to the abuse of a client or patient, the state health department records show.
McDonald was provided an opportunity to defend himself, but did not respond to the charges from the health department. When considering imposing sanctions on McDonald’s license, the state considered several aggravating factors, including the gravity of the unprofessional conduct, the age, capacity and vulnerability of the patient/victim, the injury caused by the unprofessional conduct and its impact, the admission of key facts and the “heinousness of the unprofessional conduct,” the state health records state.
He was first issued a certified nursing assistant’s license on Dec. 24, 2019, but his license expired Aug. 8, 2021, state health department records show.
A caregiver cannot practice without certification and the state health department case management team had planned to review the incident, according to previous reporting in The Bellingham Herald.
