FLORIDA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— ME101418 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—Active: no actions listed as of 12/28/2017
Local doctor accused of masturbating while examining patient, according to arrest warrant
A local doctor has been accused of masturbating while examining a patient at Baptist Hospital, according to the Affidavit for Arrest Warrant from the State Attorney’s Office.
According to the affidavit, the victim had been seeing Doctor Om Kapoor, 47, and infectious disease specialist, for about a year. The victim stated that Kapoor instructed him to remove his clothes so he could be physically examined. The victim said he has been asked to do this three or four times by Kapoor.
However, on December 14, the victim said that Kapoor was examining his lower extremities, buttocks, and genitals when he heard Kapoor make a noise, according to the affidavit. When the victim looked over his shoulder, he describes that Kapoor had his genitals exposed and was masturbating into a napkin.
At that time, the victim turned to yell at Kapoor who continued to masturbate, according to the affidavit. The victim felt a “sticky substance” on his leg, which he believed to be semen.
Kapoor allegedly told the victim that he was attractive and that he needed to keep coming to see him. Kapoor also allegedly told the victim he would, “take good care” of him.
The victim got dressed and was escorted out by Kapoor. The victim was given a new appointment and Kapoor went into another examination room to the next appointment. The victim returned to his examination room to collect the napkin Kapoor had been using out of the examination room garbage can.
The victim went to police to file a report and turn over the napkin.
Kapoor denies these allegations. He has been charged with exposure of sexual organs and battery. He was released from jail after making bond. He is on leave from his job at Baptist Health pending an investigation.
Baptist Health said in a statement:
We take seriously any allegations, especially charges of this nature, filed against physicians on the medical staffs of Baptist Health hospitals.
We are cooperating with the police investigation regarding the allegations. Dr. Kapoor is on a leave of absence pending investigation.
According to his practitioner profile on the Department of Health website his license is clear and active additionally, there are no emergency actions disciplinary cases or public complaints on file prior to this incident.
Kapoor declined an interview with First Coast News. (LINK)—12/28/2017
Local doctor accused of masturbating on a patient had prior issue with another male patient
Dr. Om Kapoor, the local doctor charged with exposure of sexual organs and battery after allegedly masturbating on a patient, has had his license restricted.
A report from the State of Florida Department of Health states that the Surgeon General has ordered an emergency restriction on the license of Kapoor following the incident at Baptist Health. In December of 2017, Kapoor was examining the lower extremities/buttocks a patient he had been seeing for a year and ejaculated into a napkin. The victim took the napkin to police and Kapoor was arrested thereafter.
The same report from the State of Florida Department of Health states that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office received a report from Baptist Medical Center’s Risk Manager alleging that Kapoor engaged in sexual misconduct with a 20-year-old patient.
However, this was never reported to the Department of Health.
The report goes on to say:
Medical doctors are entrusted by the public to provide treatment to patients in a manner that is safe and to protect their patients from harm. Dr. Kapoor violated the trust that [the victim] place in him by committing an egregious act of sexual misconduct. [The victim] presented to Dr. Kapoor for follow-up related to a diagnosis, something that all of Dr. Kapoor’s infectious disease patients would have to do. Dr. Kapoor, under the guise of a routine examination, looked at [the victim’s] buttocks and genitals for his own sexual gratification and then masturbated in [the victim’s] presence. Dr. Kapoor’s conduct of masturbating and ejaculating on a patient was so brazen and with such a wanton disregard for the laws and rules regulating the practice of medicine, that any male patient that presents to Dr. Kapoor for any purpose, is in danger of harm within the confines of the examination room. Dr. Kapoor’s conduct is of a nature that is likely to continue as long as he continues to treat male patients without supervision.
We have reached out to Baptist Health with questions and a new statement. It’s original statement when the incident occurred in Dember was:
We take seriously any allegations, especially charges of this nature, filed against physicians on the medical staffs of Baptist Health hospitals.
We are cooperating with the police investigation regarding the allegations. Dr. Kapoor is on a leave of absence pending investigation.
According to his practitioner profile on the Department of Health website his license is clear and active additionally, there are no emergency actions disciplinary cases or public complaints on file prior to this incident.
Kapoor previously declined an interview with First Coast News when these charges were placed in December. (LINK)—2/08/2017
Florida physician accused of masturbating during patient exam resigns: 3 things to know
A Florida physician accused of masturbating while examining a patient resigned from Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, according to a report from First Coast News.
Here are three things to know.
1. Police arrested Om Kapoor, MD, an infectious disease specialist, on charges of exposure of sexual organs and battery on Dec. 20, 2017. The arrest came after a male patient accused the physician of masturbating into a napkin while examining his buttocks and genitals on Dec. 14, 2017, at Baptist Medical Center.
2. Baptist Health confirmed Dr. Kapoor’s resignation to First Coast News March 14. Dr. Kapoor was on a leave of absence from the hospital pending an investigation into the alleged incident.
“Dr. Kapoor has resigned and will no longer be practicing at Baptist Health,” the health system said in a statement cited by First Coast News. “We remain committed to ensuring quality, safety and continuity of care for all patients.”
3. On Feb. 1, Florida’s surgeon general restricted Kapoor’s medical license as a result of the charges. Under the license restriction, Dr. Kapoor is only permitted to see patients if another licensed physician is in the room. (LINK—3/16/2018
Central Jersey doctor suspended for ‘erratic and disturbing’ behavior
A Central Jersey pain management specialist who allegedly played and danced to music while trying for 40 minutes to perform an epidural injection on a patient, and called another patient a “drug addict” has been suspended from practicing medicine.
Sharon C. Worosilo, who owns the New Jersey Pain Management Institute in Franklin and the Precision Surgical Center in East Brunswick, had her license suspended for what the state calls “erratic and disturbing” behavior following a hearing before the state Board of Medical Examiners.
The investigation into her behavior began Oct. 23, when the state’s Division of Law received a call from Worosilo, alleging that her partner was running a drug ring out of her office, according to a complaint filed by the Office of Attorney General.
Three days later, the Division of Law received a call from the Professional Assistance Program of New Jersey that Worosilo was acting erratically and smelled of alcohol while practicing medicine, the complaint said.
Investigators from the Division of Consumer Affairs visited the doctor in her Franklin office and found her to be “paranoid and delusional.”
The investigation also revealed that on Oct. 1, Worosilo called her former employer in Chicago and told her that she had a nervous breakdown “because I don’t want to be the richest woman in the world” and claimed she said a billion dollars’ worth of paintings.
A week later, she chartered a jet and flew to Chicago to watch her former employer run a marathon. The former employer said she appeared intoxicated.
The erratic behavior continued Oct. 16, when, after meeting with a new patient, Worosilo yelled that the patient was a “drug addict” and ordered the patient to get “the (expletive) out of the office.”
Worosilo told her staff to call 911 and ran to get a knife. She then ran into the lobby, which was full of patients, and waved the knife in front of the patients, the complaint said.
On Oct. 17, the complaint said, Worosilo came into the Precision Surgical Center playing “vuglar music” at a high volume and dancing. Despite being told to turn down the volume, she just turned it up again.
The same day, Worosilo allegedly attempted for more than 40 minutes to perform an epidural injection on a patient while repeatedly asking an X-ray technician what she should do next, according to the complaint.
She played music and danced during the procedure, the complaint said, and asked the patient why he did not know the lyrics and called him “brotha.”
The Professional Assistance Program of New Jersey also reported to the state that it had received reports that said Worosilo was waiting for phone calls from President Obama and Hiliary Clinton so they “could take down Trump” and that she daily had alcohol on her breath.
“Dr. Worosilo’s behavior was so troubling that we had to act quickly to safeguard patients and staff who interact with her,” said Attorney General Christopher Porrino. “The board’s decision to suspend her license immediately was necessary to protect those who might have been harmed by her conduct.”
“The board appropriately recognized that the nature of conduct alleged could have placed Dr. Worosilo’s patients at risk,” said Sharon M. Joyce, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “The board’s swift action to remove her from practice was the right thing to do.”
Worosilo may seek to have the terms of the suspension modified, but as a precondition to any such motion, she must fully participate with Professional Assistance Program, including submitting to evaluations for possible impairments and medical issues. She can petition the board seeking a return to practice only after the required evaluations.
A 1990 graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Worosilo was past executive director of the New Jersey Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. (LINK)—11/28/2017
NEW JERSEY MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 25MA07397500 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—Active; no actions listed as of 12/28/2017
East Brunswick doctor accused of reusing rectal catheter
A Middlesex County surgeon’s medical license has been temporarily suspended for allegedly reusing single-use rectal catheters on multiple patients during diagnostic testing, putting his patients’ health and safety at risk.
Dr. Sanjiv K. Patankar, whose practice is based in East Brunswick, had his license suspended by a committee of the State Board of Medical Examiners, according to Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the state Division of Consumer Affairs.
Patankar allegedly washed and reused the single-use flexible catheters inserted into his patients’ rectums during procedures. The catheters were intended to be thrown away after one use.
Patankar alleged used them on at least five patients before discarding them because supplies for replacement catheters had been ordered but had not yet arrived, the state’s complaint alleges.
According to the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, Patankar allegedly used the catheters on patients undergoing “anorectal manometry” testing in his office. The procedure is performed to evaluate patients with constipation, fecal incontinence or other possible disorders that may involve the anorectal sphincter.
As part of the procedure, one end of the catheter, with a small balloon on the end, is inserted into the patient’s rectum, and the other end of the catheter is attached to a machine that measures pressure. During the test, the small balloon may be inflated in the rectum to assess the normal reflex pathways.
Patankar allegedly instructed his medical assistants to wash the used catheters in soap and water, soak them in bleach solution for 30 minutes, then rinse and air dry the equipment.
Once the catheters were dry, they were put back in their original packaging for reuse.
Even when a catheter began breaking down from over-bleaching, Patankar ordered his medical assistant to continue using it, the state alleges.
The committee took testimony and reviewed evidence in a hearing last week before determining that Patankar showed a lack of judgment and placed patients in danger by reusing the catheters.
“It is appalling that a doctor would engage in such an unsanitary and dangerous practice,” Porrino said. “Through his alleged conduct, Dr. Patankar has demonstrated a reckless disregard for public safety that placed countless patients at risk of communicable diseases.”
“Dr. Patankar’s alleged conduct not only violates professional standards, it reveals an alarming lack of judgment that calls into question his fitness to practice,” said Sharon Joyce, Division of Consumer Affairs acting director. “By temporarily suspending his license, the board fulfilled its duty to protect the public from this practitioner while these very disturbing allegations are pending.”
During the hearing, the state argued that the packaging on the catheters specifically states “do not reuse,” but Patankar allegedly reused them on multiple patients because the anorectal manometry testing equipment in his office is outdated and replacement catheters from the manufacturer are on backorder.
The committee heard conflicting testimony from Patankar’s medical assistants about the reuse of catheters. Committee members resolved the discrepancies in favor of the state, finding evidence that 82 anorectal procedures were performed in Patankar’s office between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2017, but only five catheters were ordered during that time.
Patankar’s license will remain temporarily suspended pending a full hearing by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) on the allegations against him, and until the board takes final action on the OAL findings.
The doctor was given a 30-day period during which he can practice only in a hospital setting. He also must provide the board with documentation that he is transferring his patients’ care to other physicians.
Patankar also must provide the board with a list of patients who underwent anal manometry testing by him since Jan. 1, 2011.
Patankar has the opportunity for reconsideration of its decision at the Jan. 10 board meeting if he can provide evidence that he ordered catheters that would account for all of the 82 procedures that he performed from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30.
Patients who believe that they have been treated by a licensed health care professional in an inappropriate manner can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200. (LINK)—12/28/2017
NEW YORK MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 170832 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—Active; The physician must complete a continuing education program of at least forty American Medical Association Category 1 credit hours covering topics in pain management; medical record keeping; prescribing controlled substances and monitoring patients. The physician shall also obtain an educational consultation with a specialist in pain management and be subject to conditions for three years.The physician’s period of monitoring ended effective July 9, 2003.Later the physician’s medical license was suspended for thirty-six months stayed with probation for thirty-six months.
Manhattan doctor charged in patient’s overdose death
A Manhattan doctor who was previous arrested for allegedly writing oxycodone prescriptions for addicts is now charged with unlawfully prescribing oxy and fentanyl to a patient without legitimate medical purpose, which resulted in his overdose death on Staten Island.
Authorities say Dr. Martin Tesher gave the drugs to Nicholas Benedetto, who died of an overdose on March 5, 2016.
“As alleged, instead of providing his opioid addicted patients with medically appropriate and lawful care, Dr. Tesher quite literally fed their addiction, and, in this case, his actions resulted in the death of a patient,” acting U.S. Attorney Bridget Rohde said. “This office and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable those medical professionals who foster the opioid crisis for personal gain.”
As alleged in court filings, Dr. Tesher operates a family medical practice in Manhattan and was authorized by the DEA to treat up to 30 drug-addicted patients by prescribing them Schedule III, IV or V narcotics to ease their addiction. Dr. Tesher has treated countless patients who identified as or whom he determined to be drug addicts.
But investigators say that Instead of diverting those addicted patients to drug rehabilitation or prescribing them the proper drugs as authorized by law, Dr. Tesher prescribed his addicted patients with the very drugs they were addicted to – Schedule II opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl.
While under Dr. Tesher’s care, many of his patients tested positive for drugs such as cocaine, heroin, morphine or methadone. Even upon learning that information, it is alleged that Dr. Tesher continued to prescribe those patients with Schedule II narcotics that could have been lethal on their own or in combination with the other drugs Dr. Tesher knew his patients were ingesting.
According to court documents, Benedetto was one of Dr. Tesher’s patients. While under Tesher’s care, Benedetto drug tested positive for cocaine, heroin, morphine and methadone, in addition to the oxycodone and fentanyl Dr. Tesher was prescribing to him. Dr. Tesher allegedly continued to prescribe Schedule II narcotics to Benedetto despite several indicators that his patient was addictively abusing those narcotics.
Benedetto died of a drug overdose on March 5, 2016, two days after he had been prescribed both oxycodone and fentanyl patches by Dr. Tesher.
If convicted of the top charge, Dr. Tesher will face a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. (LINK)—12/21/2017
MEDICAL BOARD RECORD—12496 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—Active; no actions found as of 12/26/2017
2 arrested, connected to homicide allegedly staged as ATV crash
Authorities have arrested two people, including a doctor, in connection with a death earlier this month that they say was staged to look like an ATV accident.
Yazoo County Sheriff Jacob Sheriff confirmed that Dr. Larry Cooper, 67, of Jackson, was arrested by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and was in the Yazoo County Jail Friday morning in connection with the death.
Also arrested Thursday was John Henry May, 57, of Jackson, who was taken into custody by the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department.
According to jail records, both men are charged with hindering the prosecution, accessory after the fact of murder, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Roger Lee Scruggs Jr., 44, of Brandon, appeared to have been killed in an ATV crash at first, but authorities later said that it looked like he had been killed somewhere else.
Scruggs’ body was found near where an ATV appeared to have crashed in a creek Dec. 2 off Wildwood Road in Vaughn. Authorities later said it appeared the scene was staged.
Cooper, who was arrested at Greenwood Leflore Hospital where he works as a contract physician, is the brother of Hinds County Court Judge and former Jackson city councilwoman Larita Stokes. Stokes’ husband is Jackson city councilman Kenneth Stokes.
Hospital officials released this statement Friday:
“At approximately 9:p.m. last night (Dec. 21), the administration of Greenwood Leflore Hospital was made aware of the arrest of Dr. Larry Cooper as he reported to work. He was arrested without incident by officers of the Greenwood Police Department. Dr. Cooper has served as a contract physician through the GLH Hospitalists firm since 2008. He is board certified in family medicine and works as an on-site physician for patients who have been hospitalized.
“Everyone I have spoken to has been shocked by this,” said GLH administrator Jim Jackson. “At this point all we know is what we are reading in other news outlets, and we will share information as we receive it,” Jackson said. “It’s sad news all the way around. We have never had any reason to question Dr. Cooper’s ability as a physician, and we will wait to make any further determinations until we find out additional information from law enforcement agencies.”
Authorities said further arrests and charges could be pending. (LINK)—12/22/2017
TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD RECORD—E4265 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— License Canceled by the Board; see disciplinary actions listed at the bottom of this blog post.
Former Amarillo neurosurgeon arrested on child sex charges amid civil lawsuit
A former Amarillo neurosurgeon was arrested last week on child sex charges amid a civil lawsuit that claims similar allegations.
Dr. Jeffrey Donald Cone Sr. was booked into the Potter County jail at 5:45 p.m. Thursday on charges of sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact, according to county records.
Cone, 68, was released after paying $15,000 in bond — $7,500 for each charge — records show.
The charges are second-degree felonies, the punishment for which is two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Cone, 68, was sued for more than $1 million earlier this month by the mother of a boy who alleged inappropriate sexual contact by Cone, according to the suit filed in Potter County District Court.
Several other parties have come forward claiming they were sexually assaulted by Cone, according to the Lubbock attorney who filed the lawsuit, Kevin Glasheen.
The lawsuit, which uses the pseudonyms of John Doe for the teen and Jane Doe for his mother because of the age of the plaintiff, claims Cone had been treating the boy since he was nine months old after he suffered a brain bleed. Then, when he was about 15, the lawsuit said the boy began expressing interest in becoming a doctor, so Cone offered the alleged victim a job at the clinic.
The boy did office management tasks and shadowed Cone during surgery, according to the suit. Cone then started buying the boy expensive gifts and asked the teen to stay late to help him “read MRIs,” the suit claims.
“Over the course of an extended period, Defendant Dr. Cone utilized his position as a medical doctor to manipulate Plaintiff Doe into allowing Dr. Cone to sexually molest and assault him,” the suit says. “Dr. Cone exploited Plaintiff Doe’s trust as his medical doctor and convinced Plaintiff Doe that his sexual molestation was medical treatment to help him with his back pain.”
The suit goes on to say that “Cone’s molestation of Plaintiff Doe violated the highest degree of confidence, good faith and moral guidance expected of him given his position as both a surgical doctor and Plaintiff Doe’s mentor and boss. Due to this extreme violation, Plaintiff Doe has suffered severe and permanent mental and emotional damages.”
Glasheen said all of this happened over the last year at Cone’s former Amarillo clinic at 6822 Plum Creek Drive, which closed Nov. 29.
The alleged sexual assault was discovered in October, Glasheen said. (LINK)—12/25/2017
Two Local Doctors Cited by Texas Medical Board
AMARILLO - The Texas Medical Board has cited two Amarillo doctors.
The first is Dr. Jeffrey Cone who has voluntarily surrendered his license.
Dr. Cone cited medical issues as a reason he can no longer continue his medical practice.
He had previously had his license suspended following his arrest after allegations of patient misconduct.
The second is Dr. Ira Thomas, who has been ordered to limit his practice for the next 15-years by the medical board.
According to the board, Dr. Thomas must also participate in the board’s drug testing program and attend at least five Alcoholics Anonymous activities per week.
The board cites two relapses in the doctor’s sobriety since 2015 as the reason for the agreement. (LINK)—3/15/2018
Amarillo Doctor Arrested Again; More Sexual Assault, Indecency Charges
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR) - According to the Potter County Jail Book-In records, on May 18, Dr. Jeffrey Cone was arrested on four counts of Sexual Assault of a Child and four counts of Indecency with Child Sexual Contact.
Cone was arrested on one count of Sexual Assault of a Child, and one count of Indecency with a Child back in December.
The first allegations came to light on December 5, 2017, after a lawsuit was filed against him for allegedly sexually abusing a minor.
The lawsuit claims that Dr. Cone was the minor’s doctor since he was just nine months old, and when the minor turned 15-years-old, Dr. Cone gave him a job performing office management tasks and even shadowing the doctor in surgery.
Court documents say:
Soon after Plaintiff Doe began working for Dr. Cone, Dr. Cone began buying Plaintiff Doe expensive gifts. He would ask Plaintiff Doe to stay after the clinic closed, sometimes until 8:00 or 9:00 at night, to help him “read MRIs.” Over the course of an extended period, Defendant Dr. Cone utilized his position as a medical doctor to manipulate Plaintiff Doe into allowing Dr. Cone to sexually molest and assault him. Dr. Cone exploited Plaintiff Doe’s trust as his medical doctor and convinced Plaintiff Doe that his sexual molestation was medical treatment to help him with his back pain.
In that lawsuit, the plaintiffs are seeking actual and punitive damages over $1,000,000.
On December 21, Dr. Cone was arrested and charged with one count of sexual assault of a minor and one count of indecency with a minor. It is uncertain if the victim of the lawsuit is the same victim in the charges against Dr. Cone.
On March 15, the Texas Medical Board reported that Dr. Cone voluntarily surrendered his license; citing medical issues as a reason he can no longer continue his medical practice. He had previously had his license suspended following his arrest after allegations of patient misconduct. (LINK)—5/21/2018
Former Amarillo Doctor Indicted in Potter County
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR) - A former Amarillo doctor is indicted in Potter County.
Dr. Jeffrey Cone was indicted last week.
The grand jury decided to charge Cone with four counts of Sexual Assault of a Child and four counts of Indecency with a Child.
He was arrested on May 18 on these charges and was also arrested in December for similar charges. A civil lawsuit was also filed earlier alleging sexual abuse.
Action Date: 03/02/2018—Document Description: ON MARCH 2, 2018, THE BOARD AND JEFFREY DONALD CONE, M.D., ENTERED INTO AN AGREED ORDER OF VOLUNTARY SURRENDER IN WHICH DR. CONE AGREED TO VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER HIS TEXAS MEDICAL LICENSE IN LIEU OF FURTHER DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS. DR. CONE WAS PREVIOUSLY SUSPENDED FOR ALLEGATIONS OF PATIENT MISCONDUCT. DR. CONE HAS SUFFERED FROM NUCLEAR SCLEROSIS IN BOTH EYES AND STATES HIS CONDITION MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO CONTINUE HIS MEDICAL PRACTICE.
Action Date: 01/03/2018—Document Description: ON JANUARY 3, 2018, A DISCIPLINARY PANEL OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED, WITHOUT NOTICE, THE TEXAS MEDICAL LICENSE OF JEFFREY DONALD CONE, M.D., AFTER DETERMINING HIS CONTINUATION IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE POSES A CONTINUING THREAT TO PUBLIC WELFARE. THE SUSPENSION WAS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. THE BOARD PANEL FOUND THAT DR. CONE WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD, UNDER TEXAS PENAL CODE SECTION 22.011(2)(A). IN ADDITION, THREE PATIENTS HAVE COME FORWARD ALLEGING DR. CONE ENGAGED IN SEXUALLY INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR WITH THEM DURING EXAMINATIONS. A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION HEARING WITH NOTICE WILL BE HELD AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE WITH 10 DAYS’ NOTICE TO DR. CONE, UNLESS THE HEARING IS SPECIFICALLY WAIVED BY DR. CONE. THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION REMAINS IN PLACE UNTIL THE BOARD TAKES FURTHER ACTION.
MARYLAND MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— D50652 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— license active; no actions listed as of 12/22/2017
Towson doctor charged with sexual assault of patients
A Towson doctor has been charged with second-degree rape and other sex offenses after two patients accused him of assaulting them in his clinic on York Road, police said.
Dr. Alberto R. Yataco, 54, was arrested Thursday by Baltimore County police. In addition to second-degree rape, he faces charges including sexual abuse of a minor and second-degree assault. He is the owner of Get Well Immediate Care, according to county police. The clinic is located in the 7800 block of York Road.
Yataco, a resident of the Hampton area of Towson, was being held without bond Thursday at the county detention center and did not have an attorney listed in court records.
Two patients, ages 16 and 28, made reports about the doctor to the police, according to a statement of charges filed by police in Towson District Court.
The 16-year-old was a long-term patient of the doctor and saw him for pain management, according to the statement of charges. On several separate occasions, the doctor allegedly touched her inappropriately, including digitally penetrating her and rubbing her breasts, police wrote in the documents.
During the visits, Yataco gave the teenager injections that the girl said made her drowsy, police wrote. After one visit, “he drove her to school despite other patients being in his waiting room,” police wrote.
The 28-year-old woman alleged that Yataco inappropriately touched her genitals when she sought treatment for a stomach virus, according to the statement of charges. She also said he hugged her after the examination.
The clinic’s website states that it offers a variety of urgent-care medical services as well as behavioral health care and cosmetic dermatology. In an interview with the Towson Times in 2015 when it opened, Yataco said the walk-in clinic, located across the street from the Towson University campus, was aimed at the college-student market.
Police asked anyone with information to call the police department at 410-307-2020 or its Crimes Against Children Unit at 410-853-3650. (LINK)—12/21/2017
Veterinarian Kelly Folse arrested after fatally shooting neighbor’s dog: JPSO
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a Harahan veterinarian accused of fatally shooting her neighbor’s dog because of constant barking, authorities said.
Dr. Kelly Folse, 35, was booked Tuesday (Dec. 19) with aggravated animal cruelty, according to interim Sheriff Joseph Lopinto. Folse was also booked with illegal discharge of a firearm and two counts of drug possession after investigators found undisclosed narcotics at her home in the 8900 block of Camille Drive in River Ridge.
“This is crazy, a veterinarian shooting a dog of her next door neighbor. This is nuts. I don’t know how else to put it,” Lopinto said.
Folse is accused of shooting Bruizer, a 15-month-old American bull dog that belongs to her next-door neighbor, on the afternoon of Dec. 13. Bruizer’s owner, Stacey Fitzner, told Fox 8 that she’d left the pup in the backyard of her home when she went to work.
But a relative returned home to find Bruizer lying in the grass with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. It was clear, Fitzner said, that someone pushed open the gate to her backyard and shot her dog.
The family coincidentally took Bruizer to Abadie Veterinary Hospital in Harahan, the clinic where Folse works, Lopinto said. She was not the treating vet, he noted. Folse was not at the business when Bruizer arrived.
The dog did not survive his injuries, according to authorities.
Sheriff’s Office investigators spoke to Bruizer’s owners, who shared a series of hostile text messages and videos from Folse, who was complaining about the dog’s constant barking, according to Lopinto.
“He (Bruizer’s owner) believed and suspected that she may have had something to do with it,” Lopinto said.
Deputies eventually secured a search warrant for Folse’s home and found the narcotics Tuesday. They have not yet recovered a weapon.
Folse was taken into custody Tuesday. She was fired from the veterinary hospital, Lopinto said.
Folse was being booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. No bond information was available. (LINK)—12/19/2017
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 76433 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—License current; Court order; Limits on Practice
Beverly Hills anesthesiologist charged with murder of patient undergoing plastic surgery
An anesthesiologist was charged with murder Wednesday after a 71-year-old patient suffered a fatal overdose under his care — a rare prosecution likely to send a powerful message to other doctors.
Dr. Stephen Kyosung Kim, 53, is accused of administering a lethal dose of the narcotic Demerol to a patient undergoing a procedure at the Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery Center in Beverly Hills, according to a release from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The patient was a doctor named Mark Greenspan. Soon after the surgery, Greenspan suffered cardiac arrest and died.
Prosecutors said Kim is also accused of injecting himself with drugs during the procedure. Beverly Hills police Lt. Elisabeth Albanese declined to identify the drugs, but said detectives determined that Kim was under the influence of narcotics at the time of surgery.
Though doctors have long faced the threat of malpractice lawsuits and losing their medical licenses, it’s relatively unusual to hold physicians criminally accountable for their patients’ deaths — especially with a murder charge.
“This is a rarity and it’s not used lightly,” said Julianne D’Angelo Fellmeth, a public interest lawyer who has monitored the medical board for the Legislature.
But it’s not an unprecedented prosecution.
In 2015, an L.A. County jury convicted Dr. Hsiu-Ying “Lisa” Tseng of second-degree murder in connection with the overdose of three of her patients — a landmark decision that experts said had a chilling effect in medical circles. An earlier Times investigation found that at least eight of Tseng’s patients had died from overdoses of the same type of drugs she’d prescribed to them. The district attorney’s office lauded it as the first time a doctor had been convicted of murder in the U.S. for recklessly prescribing drugs to patients.
But before Tseng, doctors had faced lesser criminal charges.
In 2011, jurors convicted Dr. Conrad Murray of involuntary manslaughter for giving pop star Michael Jackson a surgical anesthetic that killed him.
Fellmeth, who has long studied physician discipline in California, characterized the actions Kim is accused of — particularly being under the influence during surgery — as “pretty ridiculous.”
Albanese of the Beverly Hills police said that Kim, who faces up to 25 years to life if convicted, was placed into custody Wednesday after turning himself over to police. (LINK)—12/14/2017
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