A gynecologist who served at Army hospitals in Hawaii and Texas has been suspended and is now under criminal investigation amid allegations that he secretly filmed and photographed patients during examinations.
Dr. Blaine McGraw is accused of inappropriately touching patients and recording them during OB-GYN visits. The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division said it opened an investigation “within hours” of his suspension on Oct. 17, according to an official statement.
“Fort Hood and CRDAMC are committed to providing world-class care to our Soldiers, Families, and beneficiaries, with patient safety and trust as the cornerstone of our mission,” the U.S. Army said.
The Cobos Law Firm in Austin is representing 50 alleged victims. A lawsuit filed Nov. 10 in Bell County District Court claims the Army allowed McGraw to continue practicing despite earlier complaints. The suit is brought on behalf of a Jane Doe, identified as a military spouse.
“The Army knew,” the lawsuit states. It alleges that concerns were raised at Fort Hood and previously at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, but leadership dismissed warnings and let him keep treating patients.
One victim alleges that McGraw positioned his phone in his shirt pocket with the camera facing outward after pretending to take a call, the lawsuit says.
Separately, National Trial Law — also based in Texas — says it represents another group of patients and plans to file claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act. In a Nov. 5 statement, the firm described the allegations as an extreme breach of medical trust, involving non-consensual recording and inappropriate sexual touching during exams.
The firm outlined accusations that McGraw improperly touched patients’ breasts and genitalia in ways unrelated to medical care, recommended unnecessary breast exams to expose and grope patients, and conducted exams without required nursing staff present, allegedly violating Army protocols.
McGraw worked at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu from June 2019 to June 2023, NBC News reported. He most recently practiced at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center on the Fort Hood base in Texas, where he was suspended in October.
A source connected to the case told NBC News that letters were sent to patients believed to have been examined by McGraw starting Friday, Nov. 21. The source said as many as 1,500 people may have been recorded and are being notified.
No criminal charges have been filed so far. “Our patients’ health remains our absolute top priority,” Col. William Bimson, director of Tripler Army Medical Center, said in a statement. He added that the news is deeply distressing and that support resources are available for affected patients.
Former patients have continued to come forward with allegations, the Austin-American Statesman reported. McGraw completed his residency at Tripler after joining the Army in 2007 as a rifle platoon leader at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, according to the newspaper.
The investigation remains ongoing.
