A Tamaqua man has filed a malpractice suit in the Schuylkill County Court against a Tamaqua physician and against two healthcare providing organizations seeking compensation under the Wrongful Death Act.

The action was started by Vaughn Wunderlich, of 800 Hazle St., individually and as executor of the estate of his deceased spouse, Gayle Wunderlich, against the physician and institutions who provided medical care for his wife. Named as defendants were the following:Dr. Inkyo Kim, 9 Lafayette St., Tamaqua, Miners Memorial Center; Carbon-Schuylkill Community Center, 360 W. Ruddle St. Coaldale; Carbon-Schuylkill Community Hospital Inc., doing business as Miners Memorial Medical Center; and also known as St. Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital, 360 W. Ruddle St., Coaldale; St. Lukes Hospital of Bethlehem, also doing business as St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network Inc., 801 Ostrum St., Bethlehem.The suit claims on March 4, 2011, on a shopping trip with her husband, decedent Gayle Wunderlich experienced sudden severe pain in her right shoulder and the pain onset was spontaneous and not proceeded by trauma or lifting heavy objects. She was 64 years of age and in good health.Because the pain was severe and unrelenting they sought medical care at the Miners Memorial Medical Center's emergency room arriving around 8 p.m. She received intravenous injections of morphine in the emergency room but it brought only minimal relief.She was unable to lift her arm due to the pain. Laboratory tests showed increased white bloods cells in her blood. X-rays were negative for fracture or dislocation.The suit states Dr. Kim was contacted around 12:30 a.m. on March 5, 2011, and ordered her admitted to Miners hospital at that time. The suit claims her condition had worsened and the pain was not improving despite multiple doses of strong narcotic pain medicine.She was examined by Dr. Kim and the suit alleges he failed to consider the significance of the medical findings and the decedent's condition worsened and displayed swelling, mottling, discoloration and blistering.The decedent was transferee to St. Luke's Hospital, Bethlehem, arriving around 1:15 a.m. on March 6, 2011. The suit claims upon arrival her pupils were fixed and dilated, pulses were lost shortly after admission and resuscitative efforts were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at 2 a.m. on March 6, 2011. The complaint claims the cause of death was determined to be sepsis from overwhelming necrotizing fasciitis.The complaint charges Dr. Kim failed to recognize the clear signs of the evolving sepsis and necrotizing fasciitis which caused a delay in diagnosis and treatment and the nursing personnel failed to recognize the clear signs of evolving sepsis and necrotizing fasciitis and to notify Dr. Kim or other physicians caused a delay in diagnosis and treatment.The suit seeks judgment in amount in excess of the jurisdictional arbitration limits ($50,000) of the Schuylkill County Court.