FORT MYERS- A Lee County doctor accused of giving inferior treatment to poor and minority patients has settled a malpractice lawsuit for the death of a baby in 1994.

Dr. Robert Strathman, 43, was sued in a county circuit court in 1997 by Kimberly Johnson Camargo-Gomez, who said her unborn baby died in 1994 because Strathman failed to properly treat her and the child.

Camargo-Gomez said Strathman discriminated against her because she was on Medicaid and her boyfriend was Mexican. Details of Monday's settlement were not made public and the attorneys in the case refused to give further information. "We were able to reach an agreement that made everybody happy," said Adam Trop, Camargo-Gomez' attorney. Strathman said he settled the case based on the advice of his attorney, Bruce Stanley. Among other allegations, the suit said Strathman treated patients based on their ability to pay their medical bills. According to the suit, he often made comments about minority children, such as, "Why don't you do that baby a favor and drop it on its head?" The doctor contends many of the accusations against him were lies made up by nurses at East Pointe Hospital, where he worked.

East Pointe-which is now known as Lehigh Regional Medical Center - was owned by Columbia/Hospital Corporation of America at the time. Camargo-Gomez also sued Columbia/HCA, which settled its liability in the case in 1998 for $325,000.