Respected father-of-two chiropractor “abused his three-month-old daughter leaving her with brain injuries and 28 rib fractures because she was ‘fussy’ and he wanted a son”
Jason Bittner, 33, charged with felonious assault and endangering children for allegedly beating his baby daughter last month
Prosecutors in Ohio said the chiropractor, who also has an older daughter, was disappointed hat his wife Casey had a second girl and not a boy
Bittner, a devout Christian, also allegedly resented the infant for being fussy
A well-respected chiropractor from Ohio has been charged with assaulting his three-month-old daughter and leaving the infant with brain injuries and more than two dozen fractures because she was being ‘fussy’ and he wanted a son, according to police.
Dr Jason Bittner, a married father of two daughters and an active member of his local church, was indicted by a grand jury last week on counts of felonious assault and endangering children.
According to prosecutors, the attack on the baby girl took place in late February at the family’s home in Mason.
An announcement that was posted on Bittner Chiropractic’s website last fall indicated that Jason and his wife Casey, who is also a physical therapist and runs the practice with him, welcomed their second daughter on November 13, 2017.
The notice stated that the girl was delivered naturally and without the use of medications, and was born weighing 8lbs 7 oz. It was accompanied by photos of the new mom posing happily with her beaming husband and their newborn at the hospital.
But prosecutor David Fornshell told Fox 19 the 33-year-old doctor was, in reality, disappointed that the latest addition to their family was a girl and not a boy.
‘He was frankly resentful of that fact and also was very intolerant of the fact that she fussed,’ Fornshell said Tuesday.
Police launched an investigation after Casey Bittner brought her youngest daughter to Children’s Hospital on or around February 28.
Doctors were reportedly told the baby had had an accident, but they found that her injuries were inconsistent with that version of events.
The baby was diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries and 28 rib fractures in various stages of healing.
Bittner were arrested at the family practice in West Chester on Friday.
According to his business’ website, the man graduated from Miami University in 2008 and later attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Florida, from which he graduated in 2011.
The doctor wrote that he was inspired to go into physical therapy after suffering a serious injury as a college athlete, from which he recovered after three months of chiropractic care.
On a personal note, Bittner said of himself that he loves his wife and is ‘crazy’ about their two daughters.
He added: ‘But my first and greatest love is Jesus Christ. I am most proud of my faith in him.’ (LINK)—3/21/2018
PENNSYLVANIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— MD070856L DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—License Suspended
Blair County pediatrician accused of writing illegal prescriptions
ALTOONA – Dr. Rebecca Delbaggio turned herself in Tuesday morning after the State Attorney General’s Office alleged that she wrote illegal prescriptions for her boyfriend, who was not her patient.
She faces 14 felony drug counts and one count of conspiracy as well as dozens of misdemeanor charges.
Delbaggio was a pediatrician at UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics in Hollidaysburg, according to the criminal complaint.
Pittsburgh-based UPMC media relations manager Andrea Kunicky said that Delbaggio was first suspended, then ultimately terminated when the company discovered the illegal activity.
Agent Matt Massaro of the Attorney General’s Office told the magisterial district judge at Delbaggio’s arraignment that the area suffers from an opioid epidemic, adding, “This is where it starts.”
The criminal complaint said that Delbaggio had been having an affair with 26 year-old Andrew Smithmyer, who was too old to be a pediatric patient, and that she wrote him prescriptions for both Xanax and Oxycodone over the past two years.
Delbaggio, alongside her attorney Brian Grabill, told the judge that she did not have any drug or alcohol problems and that she has never been arrested before.
The judge set her bail at $50,000 unsecured, with a condition that she could not return to her former place of work because agents said that several witnesses still work there.
Criminals typically exit the court from the public front entrance, but Delbaggio was escorted by her attorney out the private back door. (LINK)—3/06/2018
Doctor’s charges bound to court
Delbaggio pleads not guilty to all 33 counts
A local pediatrician is heading for trial on multiple drug charges, Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio decided Wednesday.
DeAntonio bound over to county court all 33 charges — including 14 felony counts of administration of a controlled substance not in good faith in the course of her practice — filed against Dr. Rebecca Delbaggio, 46, of 317 Sylvan Oaks Drive, Hollidaysburg.
Delbaggio pleaded not guilty to all 33 counts on Wednesday. She is free on $50,000 unsecured bail.
However, Assistant District Attorney Derek Elensky made a successful case to move the charges on to trial.
“Her boyfriend wanted pills, asked for pills, and she gave them to him,”Elensky said at the end of the preliminary hearing Wednesday before DeAntonio.
Delbaggio’s alleged boyfriend, former professional baseball player Andrew C. Smithmyer, with whom she allegedly was having an affair, waived his hearing on 15 felony counts of illegal acquisition of prescription drugs Wednesday. He is free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Earlier this month, Smithmyer, 26, of 1931 N. 11th Ave., waived misdemeanor charges of DUI of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, along with several summary counts on to county court. He is accused of crashing his vehicle on Jan. 17 while high on heroin. Smithmyer was released on $5,000 unsecured bond in that case.
Delbaggio allegedly wrote 14 prescriptions for Smithmyer to receive oxycodone and Xanax. Smithmyer never visited her office for an examination. Scripts were written, for example, in hotel rooms where the two met, according to Elensky’s witness, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General agent Matthew Massaro.
Massaro testified Wednesday and provided exhibits for the record.
Delbaggio’s attorney, Brian Grabill, made the case that the pills were prescribed for legitimate reasons, namely pain from a sports injury and anxiety after a car crash. The oxycodone was for elbow pain that Smithmyer first suffered playing baseball in college; the pain flared up again during an Altoona summer league. The Xanax was prescribed subsequent to a car accident, after which Smithmyer allegedly had trouble sleeping.
Delbaggio allegedly furnished scripts for the pills between August 2016 and January 2018, Massaro said.
DeAntonio deemed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, represented by Elensky, provided sufficient prima facie evidence for the case to go to trial. (LINK)—3/29/2018
FLORIDA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— ME99402 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—none listed as of 4/29/2018
Arrested 12/14/2017 (see bottom of blog post.)
Cops say surgeon snooped on ex with her own security cameras. He calls it ‘sour grapes’
BY DAVID OVALLE
A Miami pediatric surgeon known for his charitable work is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he snooped on his girlfriend by logging onto her online security camera feed.
Dr. Colin Knight, who works primarily at Miami’s Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, was arraigned this week on more than a dozen counts of unlawfully accessing a computer.
Prosecutors believe that for months, mostly while they dated, he secretly watched the camera feeds that showed real-time footage of her living room and family room. “The victim states that she did not give [Knight] authorization” to access her security account, according to an arrest warrant.
His defense lawyer insists the woman, unidentified in court documents, only went to the police because she was upset about their breakup, then asked him for $400,000 for “damages.”
“There is no crime here. She gave him the password and now it’s sour grapes,” lawyer Alexander Fox said in a statement. “He cared about her mental state during and after he broke it off and checked on her — the cameras were in public areas of the house. Nothing intimate.”
Knight, 48, has been a surgeon with Nicklaus Children’s since 2007, and is a a member of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Surgery. He also is an advocate for “robot-enhanced” surgeries.
He’s done disaster relief for Haiti and is the head of a chapter of Sunset Elemenrary’s All-Pro Dads Day, a program for children and their fathers.
Knight continues to have privileges at the hospital. “We will follow the outcome of the legal proceedings associated with this nonclinical matter,” a hospital spokeswoman said.
A lawyer representing the victim said that the request for damages was made by a previous attorney, done without the woman’s consent.
“The defendant logged into my client’s home security system thousands upon thousands of times without her consent or knowledge. Her security system is comprised of five cameras, one of which was able to capture her dressing and undressing daily,” said Robin Pimentel, who now represents the woman.
“There are literally 6,000 to 8,000 log ins that can be attributed to the defendant, where he would violate my client’s right to privacy and watch her on a daily basis for well over a year. This only begins to scratch the surface.”
The case began in May, shortly after the two had broken up, when Knight’s ex-girlfriend noticed the battery on her internal security camera was running low. She called ADT, the security company, and was asked to access her online account.
When she said she didn’t know the password, an ADT representative told the surprised woman her account was being regularly accessed to watch the two cameras.
The woman called Coral Gables Police. Her suspicion: that Knight, her ex-boyfriend, was the one secretly watching the live feeds, one of her living room, the other of her family room.
According to prosecutors, Knight’s snooping lasted from November 2016 to May 2017.
Detectives traced the IP address of the user logging into the security-camera feed — and it came back to Nicklaus Children’s hospital, where Knight works. Hospital records also showed he logged into the ADT website while he was logged into his internal hospital computer terminal.
Subpoenas also revealed that Knight was logging onto the ADT account from his home computer. (LINK)—2/16/2018
Hospital: No Reprimand for Miami Surgeon Facing Criminal Charges
Dr. Colin Knight, a pediatric surgeon at Miami’s Nicklaus Children’s Hospital charged with unlawful access of his ex-girlfriend’s security system can continue to work at the hospital during legal proceedings and is not facing immediate disciplinary action.
Knight was arrested in December of 2017 and subsequently charged in February of 2018 with twenty counts of unlawfully accessing a computer device, twenty counts of the unlawful use of a two way communication device, and one count of video voyeurism-acts that were allegedly done from both his personal computer and the hospital network, according to the Miami Herald and Miami-Dade court records.
“The private practice physician has clinical privileges at the hospital,” hospital spokesperson Jennifer Caminas said in a statement. “The matter remains under review and will follow the outcome of the legal proceedings.”
The physician’s medical practice, Miami Associates in Pediatric Surgery, P.A. is located on the campus of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital on SW 60th Court.
A hearing in the criminal matter is set for April 30, said Robin Pimentel, the woman’s legal representative.
“The entire case is built on lies. We look very much forward to our day in court,“ said Knight’s attorney Alexander Fox, declining further comment.
Fox told the Miami Herald in February the allegations of cyber snooping against his client have no merit because it was Knight who broke off the relationship and that the woman, unidentified in court records targeted his client for a six figure payout. Fox added his client accessed the security system to check on the welfare of the woman because he was worried about her mental state.
Pimentel countered that the case is supported by factual evidence that will specifically show Knight accessed his client’s home security cameras thousands of times without her knowledge or consent.
“Every attempt to settle has been initiated by the defense,” Pimentel told Community News. “My client is independently wealthy, and this has never been about financial gain. In all candor, the 41 felonies filed by the State Attorney’s office against the defendant actually minimize the extent of what was actually perpetrated against my client for no less than a year of her life.”
Knight, 48, has been involved in disaster relief for Haiti and is chairman of Sunset Elementary All Pro Dads, a father-child bonding program created by former NFL coach Tony Dungy.
A profile of Knight on the website of Miami Associates in Pediatric Surgery, P.A. notes he joined the practice in 2007. A Yale graduate, he received his medical degree at the University of Virginia. His expertise is in minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Pimentel said there was “a good chance perhaps cooler heads will prevail,” and that he and his client were we in a trial posture as the state brings its criminal case.
“We are preparing a lawsuit,” he said. “We gave every opportunity to try and resolve things amicably.”
In May of 2017 the woman heard a beeping sound coming from one of the cameras in her home and contacted ADT security in an attempt to correct the issue. While speaking to an ADT representative and after requesting a password reset, she was advised that multiple logins to her home security cameras had occurred during the previous 30 days.
The woman then contacted Coral Gables police and provided them with several pages of log-in dates, times and IP addresses from her ADT security account for the five cameras connected to the system: three cameras on the outside of the home and two cameras inside. Her relationship with Knight ended about a month prior to discovering the unauthorized access, she alleges.
Detectives linked the IP address of the user logging into the security system to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Knight was logged into his computer terminal at the hospital while he was accessing the ADT website, hospital records show. Knight also accessed the ADT account from his home computer, subpoenas revealed.
The woman alleges she “did not access the ADT account at the dates and times reflected in the logins” and denies giving Knight permission to access her security account, according to an arrest warrant.
Pimentel said he was unclear as to whether or not the hospital ever suspended Dr. Knight, or whether or not they have conducted their own investigation into the matter, but it is clear that he continues to enjoy privileges at the hospital during the criminal proceedings.
“It baffles me that the hospital hasn’t been more proactive in attempting to get out in front of this,” he said.
The optics of breaching the highest ethical standards is of grave concern for hospitals, not just externally in the media but even more so for internal audiences, including patients, said crisis management expert Susan Neisloss, CEO of Big Bite Productions, a Santa Monica, CA media training firm.
“The hospital should have issued a stronger statement,” said Neisloss, noting that male doctors are often scrutinized in the current volatile “Me Too” media environment. “We are living in an era where everything you do and say is front and center- a stronger comment offering corrective action is always more impactful.”
For a hospital, it takes years to build a reputation but only minutes to destroy it, Neisloss said.
“With heightened sensitivity surrounding harassment we can no longer separate the public from the private. Everything is under a microscope.” (LINK)—4/11/2018
Charges as of 4/29/2018:
20 counts of unlawfully accessing a computer device 20 counts of unlawful use of a two way communication device 1 count of video voyeurism
Petaluma doctor scrutinized over alleged botched surgeries
When Mary Stompe, a decorated competitive runner, went to Petaluma podiatrist Peter Redko for a surgery to repair an ankle injury, she said he told her she’d run again within six months. Three years and three surgeries later, doctors say she may never run again, and she blames Redko.
“Running was a huge part of my identity,” the 54-year-old executive director of Petaluma-based nonprofit PEP Housing said. “It was a big deal … it was a big part of my life with my husband. Really the main activity that we did together was running. I can’t ski anymore, I can’t do any of the things we used to do. That’s all gone.”
Stompe said what should have been a simple tendon surgery turned into a nightmare after Redko allegedly botched the procedure, causing her years of suffering and costing thousands of dollars. She filed a complaint with the Board of Podiatric Medicine that eventually led to a five-year probation for Redko, during which time he will be barred from practicing tendon surgeries and having a solo medical practice. The probation was to begin April 6, but the board stayed the order until April 16 while it considers an appeal filed by Redko’s lawyer.
“It’s been terrible waiting,” Stompe said. “It’s very frustrating when you work with the government and you have to wait through this very long process, but I’m glad I stuck with it … it’s just such a long and arduous process and I think that’s why more claims aren’t filed.”
Redko, a 43-year-old podiatrist who has been practicing at the North Bay Foot and Ankle Center since 2004, was placed on a 35-month probation in 2013 after a bunion removal surgery that eventually led to the amputation of a 15-year-old girl’s toe and a second procedure on a separate patient that led to blood clots, according to accusations brought before the podiatry board.
Redko also has been sued in Sonoma County Superior Court at least five times for medical malpractice and professional negligence, according to court records dating back to 2007. Four of those cases have been dismissed, and exact details of those allegations were not available as the court destroys records of dismissed cases. The plaintiff in the most recent small claims court filing from February is seeking $10,000 and alleging medical malpractice as well as professional and medical negligence. The claimant did not return a call for comment.
Steven Teal, a Santa Rosa lawyer representing the plaintiffs in at least one of the cases, did not return multiple calls for comment. Redko’s lawyer, Tiburon-based Ronald Goldman, did not respond to requests for comment.
Redko, who also has done charity work with the nonprofit Revived Soldiers Ukraine, denied all allegations of malpractice.
“Who knows who these people are making these statements,” he said. “We do have a competitive environment and it could have come from one person – someone with an ulterior motive. I think we do good work here and we’ve been here for 15 years and we plan on continuing to do good work.”
He said the Board of Podiatry proceedings that led to his most recent probation went forward without his expert witness present to testify in his favor. Necessary paperwork was sent to the witness, who he declined to identify, during the October wildfires and when the witness was in surgery, he said.
An extension to get the witness to the hearings was not granted, he said. He believes that’s a violation of due process and said Goldman has filed a lawsuit against the state seeking a reversal of the decision or a retrial, he said.
A board spokeswoman declined to comment on the issue.
Falling out of step
Before she was knocked out of the competitive circuit, Stompe was among the top of her categories in 31 out of 48 races in which she participated from 2012 to 2014. She’d run her entire life, and injured her ankle while competing in a race in Maine in 2014, she said.
After undergoing physical therapy and suffering from chronic pain, Stompe’s orthopedist told her to see a podiatrist about a tear in her tendon. She chose Redko, who studied at Temple University in Philadelphia, and did his residency training in New York City, according to his biography on Sonoma Valley Hospital’s website.
After what Stompe described as a 10-minute consultation Dec. 9, 2014, when Redko did not order x-rays or an ultrasound or request medical records, the doctor suggested surgery, Stompe said. He didn’t have Stompe sign a consent form at his office or order lab tests before the Dec. 16 procedure at Petaluma Valley Hospital, according to the accusation presented to the Board of Podiatric Medicine.
After her surgery, Stompe continued to see Redko for complaints of severe pain through May, when her last appointment was canceled by Redko’s office, she said. Redko allegedly advised against a follow-up MRI, but another doctor ordered a follow-up MRI and surgery, which revealed scarring, improper stitches and a tendon that had been sewn to a sheath, she said.
A third surgery by a third doctor was performed in January 2016, where a tendon from her hamstring was harvested to replace her injured ankle tendon.
“The whole thing was a little odd,” she said. “As I look back on it now, there were so many red flags.”
Redko said there’s “no truth” to Stompe’s account and “no one told her that she would run within six months of treatment.”
“There was no different surgery performed,” he said. “If we did something wrong, how come the next doctor did practically the same procedure?”
Stompe said she was made to fill out a positive Yelp review for Redko as staff stood by upon her first visit, and five other negative reviews have been removed. Redko denied the allegations about the reviews and said Yelp controls review removal.
Stompe also signed an arbitration agreement on her first visit, a legal document that would later preclude her from seeking further legal action because of the potential of incurring tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees if she lost the case, she said. Redko said his office has made patients sign arbitration agreements for more than a decade, adding that it’s common practice in the medical field.
Amputation
Eight years before Redko operated on Stompe, he performed a scheduled bunion removal on a 15-year-old’s foot, according to an accusation from the Board of Podiatric Medicine proceedings. The unidentified female patient complained of tingling after the surgery, and over the course of the 24 days she went to follow up appointments with Redko as the toe grew worse, the complaint states.
A vascular surgeon later diagnosed the girl with gangrene in her big toe on her left foot. Her toe was later amputated.
Nancy Bandittini, the mother of the teen whose toe was amputated, could not comment because she said she was made to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of a settlement.
Redko said there was no way to know what the issue was with the toe.
“There was nothing anyone found that we did wrong,” he said. “No one could determine what the reason was for the complication post-operatively.”
After an investigation into that complaint, an administrative law judge ordered Redko be placed on a 35 month probation in 2011.
Redko filed a petition for early termination and was let off probation nine months early. The board received letters of recommendation from podiatrist Robert LaVigna, who said probation had “humbled” Redko, and Rochelle Bomar, now an associate at his practice.
‘Left out in the cold’
In 2009, Rohnert Park’s Mariane Van Durden said Redko performed a surgery to remove bunions and callous. After the procedure, she was in a boot for a month longer than she was told would be necessary and suffered from pain in her toe. She saw a second Petaluma podiatrist six months after the procedure, who told her that nerves were cut on the two toes, limiting her ability to walk and eventually leading her to get a handicapped placard.
“The truth is, I’m depressed about it,” the 68-year-old said. “It’s permanent and no doctors want to touch it. I feel abandoned and left out in the cold.”
She contacted the medical board and a lawyer, but did not purse action in either channel, she said.
A staff member from a separate North Bay podiatrist who declined to be identified for fear of retribution, said the facility has seen as many as 10 surgical patients in the last five to six years who had surgeries bungled by Redko.
“They’re all typically surgeries where the patients didn’t have a good result,” the staff member said. “Sometimes the doctors felt they had been over treated … you can have a bad result, it happens and not everyone is perfect. It’s not common, but you can have a bad result, post-operative complications requiring further care, but for it to always come out of the same office doesn’t seem common.”
Redko has privileges at Sonoma Valley Hospital, Petaluma Valley Hospital and Sebastopol’s Palm Drive hospital, according to his biography on the Sonoma hospital’s website.
Sonoma Valley Hospital’s Manager of Marketing and Community Outreach, Celia Kruse de la Rosa, declined to comment. Vanessa deGier, who is the regional director of communications and marketing for St. Joseph Health, was not aware of the decision to place Redko on probation again.
Alleged false advertising
Joseph Soldis, a retired law enforcement officer who operates California Judicial Investigations, a Northern California investigative firm, plans to submit a new complaint to the Board of Podiatric Medicine.
He became aware of a Groupon offering discounted toe fungus removal services from Redko’s office. The deal listed the service for 75 to 78 percent off the “normal” price of $900 for one foot and $1,200 for two feet, according to a screen shot of the ad.
An inquiry to Redko’s staff revealed that the listed discount prices – $199 for one foot and $299 for two feet – were actually the current and normal charges, Soldis said. It usually takes multiple treatments to eradicate such fungus, which was not noted in the Groupon, Soldis said.
Emails and a cease and desist letter to Redko were not acknowledged, he said.
He plans to file a complaint to the board that includes the false advertising issue, and another separate malpractice issue for Christina Yang, who filed a separate small claims lawsuit this February against Redko. He plans to send a complaint to the California Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Unit and the Sonoma County District Attorneys Consumer Fraud Unit. He is seeking others who have experienced issues with Redko.
Redko initially said he was unaware of any communications to his office, but later said Soldis was “a disturbed individual with criminal intent.” The Groupon is still available for purchase.
The total number of complaints about Redko received by the Board of Podiatric Medicine was not available, spokeswoman Michelle Cave said.
His most recent probation comes with 23 stipulations, including monitoring and rigorous educational requirements, such as clinical training and records keeping courses. His license was technically revoked, but that revocation was stayed as long as he meets the terms of the probation, according to the filings. (LINK)—4/06/2018
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 80122 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—INTERIM SUSPENSION ORDER ISSUED-PARTIAL. DR. TRAVIS SHALL HAVE A FEMALE THIRD PARTY CHAPERONE PRESENT WHILE CONSULTING, EXAMINING OR TREATING FEMALE PATIENTS.
Bay Area Psychiatrist On Leave Amid Investigation
SAN MATEO (KPIX 5) — A well-known Bay Area psychiatrist is under investigation with new documents revealing he is not being allowed see female patients without a chaperone.
According to documents obtained by KPIX 5 from the California Medical Board, Dr. Adam Travis’ license was restricted Friday, barring him specifically from treating “female patients” without a “female third party chaperone present” at all times.
The move comes as the state agency said it has conducted an investigation into Dr. Travis and is prepared to file a formal accusation.
Travis, a psychiatrist, worked for Kaiser Permanente in Alameda County for more than a decade before being hired by Caminar in San Mateo last year.
The company’s website says it provides services for people with disabilities as well as treating mental health and addiction issues.
A company spokesperson issued a statement attributed to Caminar CEO Chip Huggins, saying, “We just became aware of Dr. Travis’ interim restrictions on his license to see female patients without a female chaperone. We have placed Dr. Travis on administrative leave effective immediately and will conduct an internal investigation.”
KPIX 5 went to Dr. Travis’ home Wednesday afternoon to ask him about the case, but no one answered the door.
The California Medical Board has not yet revealed the exact nature of the allegations against Dr. Travis or when and where they allegedly occurred.
The state board says they issued the temporary restrictions in order to protect the public while the wrap up their investigation and prepare to file an accusation. They have 30 days to do that before the restrictions would be lifted but say they fully intend to meet that deadline. (LINK)—4/25/2018
TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— P6237 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— none listed as of 4/21/2018
Local pediatric specialist charged in child porn case fired This ad will end in 12 seconds.
TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) Dr. John Middlemiss Palmer, 55, a Temple pediatric pulmonary physician who’s held without bond charged with possession of child pornography after child porn was found on a digital storage device seized during a search of his office, has been fired, a spokesman for McLane Children’s Hospital said in a statement late Friday afternoon.
John Middlemiss Palmer. (Texas Attorney General’s Office photo)
“We were shocked and disappointed when we learned of the investigation and arrest of Dr. Palmer. We are cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation. Dr. Palmer has been terminated and is no longer working at our facilities. The safety of our patients is always our primary concern,” the hospital said.
Palmer was arrested on Wednesday and was transferred to the custody of U.S. marshals on Thursday.
He made an initial appearance Thursday before a U.S. magistrate who ordered him to remain in custody pending a hearing next Tuesday.
The federal charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
State investigators obtained a warrant and searched Palmer’s medical office Wednesday at McLane Children’s Hospital at 1901 SW H K Dodgen Loop in Temple after discovering that child pornography had been uploaded to an online storage account he used, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Friday.
During the search, discovered that the top left drawer of Palmer’s desk was locked.
A hospital locksmith was summoned and after the drawer was unlocked, investigators discovered a laptop computer and three external hard drives, according to a warrant affidavit.
Investigators also found a set of business cards for John Middlemiss Palmer M.D. on top of the digital storage devices, the affidavit said.
They seized the laptop and the hard drives and during a forensic review of one of the drives discovered “numerous images depicting…images of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.”
Several other devices were seized from Palmer’s home for examination by the attorney general’s Digital Forensics Unit, Paxton said.
NORTH CAROLINA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 26210 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— see bottom of this blog post.
Prominent Charlotte eye doctor ‘maintains a sexually hostile work environment,’ lawsuit says
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A prominent Charlotte eye doctor is the center of two sexual harassment lawsuits.
Jonathan Christenbury is nationally recognized for his work in LASIK surgery and is the owner of Christenbury Eye Center on Randolph Road in southeast Charlotte.
The lawsuits allege a pattern of sexual harassment.
The two women suing Christenbury are Chelsea Viviani Pierce and Nilou Saniri, a former dancer with the Charlotte Hornets.
The lawsuits from Saniri and the other former Christenbury employee focus on allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace and wrongful termination.
Quick facts about Jonathan D. Christenbury, according to his website:
In early 90s he performed the very first LASIK procedure in the Carolinas.
He’s performed over 100,000 LASIK procedures.
He has reached highest level of distinction in his field as a fellow of the American College of Eye Surgeons and the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
He received the “Quality of Vision” award in 2005 from Alcon, Inc.
He was named No. 1 ReSTOR surgeon in the country for implanting more of the new intraocular lenses each month than any other ophthalmologist in the United States.
He graduated from Duke University School of Medicine.
He completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Duke Eye Center and spent a year in fellowship training at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA.
The lawsuits claim that Christenbury has a “history of hiring beautiful young women” and “attempting to pressure them into dating him or having a sexual relationship with him.”
Attorney Meg Maloney is representing the two women who are suing.
“This is an outrageous set of circumstances of any employer,” Maloney said.
Both lawsuits specifically claim there were times that Christenbury “pressed himself against the women in a sexual manner.”
In her complaint, Saniri claims her boss “pulled up her skirt and grabbed her buttocks” and also offered her “$5,000” in exchange for sex.
The lawsuits include text messages the women said support their allegations. The complaint also includes a photo that allegedly shows Christenbury acting “creepy” at a fashion show featuring Charlotte Hornet dancers, including Saniri.
Both lawsuits include letters from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Charlotte district office of the EEOC conducted an investigation and determined that Christenbury “maintains a sexually hostile work environment for female employees.”
“In this case, it’s clearly recognized a pattern and practice of behavior by this individual against employees,” Maloney said.
Channel 9 tried to contact Christenbury for comment and he did not respond.
It’s not the first time Christenbury has faced a civil lawsuit containing allegations of sexual misconduct. He settled a similar case filed in 2011. (LINK)—7/14/2017
Prominent Charlotte eye doctor surrenders medical license
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A prominent Charlotte eye doctor, who has faced two sexual harassment lawsuits, voluntarily surrendered his medical license Wednesday.
A former client blames Dr. John Christenbury for leaving her blind in one eye and has filed a lawsuit.
Christenbury has had a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him recently.
“Really just shocked by (it),” patient Brian Henry said. “I’ve been a patient here for over two years and wasn’t aware of anything.”
The ophthalmologist’s office was closed Thursday.
A 71-year-old woman claims cataract surgery ended with her being blind in one eye.
She developed an infection and she claims the doctor would not see her on an emergency basis.
The suit claims had she been seen earlier in the day by a retinal surgeon, she more likely than not would have undergone a successful cap-and-inject procedure. However, due to Christenbury’s delay, her eye was dead.
“When I say lost her eye, not only did she lose vision in the eye, she lost her eye – it had to be enucleated,” the woman’s attorney, Charles Rawlings, said. “With only one eye, she has almost no depth perception.”
Channel 9 contacted Granger Pierce, an attorney that Christenbury hired to defend him in some of the harassment suits.
Channel 9 asked him if he would represent him in this malpractice case, too, and he had no comment on any pending litigation.
It’s not clear who is going to represent Christenbury in the malpractice action. (LINK)—12/01/2017
Prominent Charlotte eye doctor accused of cocaine use
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A prominent Charlotte eye doctor, who has faced two sexual harassment lawsuits and a malpractice lawsuit, now faces accusations of cocaine use.
A notice of charges and allegations before the North Carolina Medical Board alleges Dr. John Christenbury tested positive for cocaine after co-workers noticed he was having trouble walking and had slurred speech at his clinic in October 2017.
Former patient Cathy Goodman said she never had any issues with Christenbury.
“Very professional,” Goodman said. “Very cordial. It was good.”
But getting her records after he surrendered his license was difficult for her.
“Getting my records was a nightmare,” she said. “There’s no way of putting it.”
A former client blames him for leaving her blind in one eye and has filed a lawsuit. The 71-year-old woman claimed cataract surgery ended with her being blind in one eye.
Christenbury also faces sexual harassment allegations.
The notice says Christenbury “engaged in a patter and practice of targeting certain female staff members for sexual harassment.“
Christenbury is ordered to appear before the medical board in June for a hearing on the allegations.
CALIFORNIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— No license information found DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS—
Long Beach doctor arrested on suspicion of sending indecent material to officer posing as a minor
LOS ANGELES — A 35-year-old physician was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sending explicit material to someone he believed was a 16-year-old girl and investigators were seeking additional possible victims.
Jonathon Ellis of Long Beach was arrested about 9 a.m. after contacting what turned out to be an undercover officer who had been posing online as a 16-year-old girl, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Jonathon Ellis, a doctor from Long Beach, has been arrested & charged with contacting & sending sexually explicit images over the internet to an undercover officer posing as a minor. Additional victims are encouraged to contact LAPD Human Trafficking Unit at (213) 486-0910.
“Ellis also sent a sexually explicit image to the officer,” police said. “Ellis studied medicine in Henderson, Nevada and is currently a resident physician in Long Beach.”
Details about where he practices medicine were not immediately released.
Ellis is facing multiple counts of sending harmful material to a minor and one count of arranging a meeting with a minor to engage in lewd behavior, according to the LAPD.
Ellis was released from custody about 7:45 p.m. after posting $85,000 bail, according to sheriff’s inmate records.
Additional possible victims were encouraged to contact the LAPD’s Human Trafficking Unit at (213) 486-0910 to speak with Officer Aaron Korth or Detective Sammy Cruz.
After-hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to (877) LAPD-24-7.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS. (LINK)—4/11/2018
Long Beach doctor arrested in online sex sting
A Long Beach doctor was arrested after police say he sent sexually explicit material to someone he thought was a 16-year-old girl.
Los Angeles police say Dr. Jonathon Ellis, 35, contacted an undercover officer who was posing as a 16-year-old girl online. They say the doctor sent a sexually explicit image to the officer and also wanted to meet with her.
Ellis was arrested and the District Attorney’s Office has filed four counts of sending harmful material to a minor and one count of arranging a meeting with a minor to engage in lewd behavior.
Ellis is a resident physician in Long Beach, according to the LAPD.
Police are looking for other potential victims and asked anyone with information to contact detectives at (213)486-0910 or on weekends and non-business hours at 1-877-LAPD-24-7. (LINK)—4/11/2018
Doctor Pleads Not Guilty to Sending Pornographic Images to Teen
A doctor accused of sending pornographic images to an undercover police detective posing as a teenage girl pleaded not guilty Thursday to five criminal charges.
Jonathon Hagar Ellis, 35, of Long Beach, is charged with four felony counts of distributing or showing pornography to a minor and one misdemeanor count of arranging to meet a minor for lewd purposes.
Ellis — a resident physician — allegedly contacted an undercover Los Angeles Police Department officer who was posing as a 16-year-old girl on the Internet, according to police.
He allegedly sent lewd photos and messages and tried to meet her in person for sexual activities despite her supposed age, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Ellis was arrested April 11 by Los Angeles police and subsequently released on an $85,000 bond.
A date is scheduled to be set July 17 for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to require him to stand trial.
If convicted as charged, he could face up to six years in custody, according to the District Attorney’s Office. (LINK)—6/07/2018
Long Beach doctor pleads no contest to distributing porn to a minor
A Long Beach doctor pleaded no contest Thursday to one felony count of distributing pornography to a minor, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
A Superior Court judge ordered Jonathon Ellis to register for life as a sex offender and sentenced him to five years of formal felony probation, according to the district attorney’s office.
In April, officers with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit arrested Ellis, 35, after they said he sent a lewd photograph to an undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old girl on the internet.
Ellis studied medicine in Henderson, Nev., and is a resident physician in Long Beach, the LAPD said earlier this year.
Under the plea agreement, Ellis must serve 90 days in county jail and attend 52 weeks of sex offender counseling, according to the district attorney’s office. (LINK)—11/01/2018
GEORGIA MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— 31700 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— none listed as of 4/11/2018
Hartwell, Ga. doctor arrested on child molestation, other charges
HART COUNTY, GA (WSPA) - A Hartwell, Ga. doctor surrendered to law enforcement in Arizona following a investigation into child molestation.
According to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation news release, Tommy Beeson, M.D., was charged with five counts of aggravated sexual battery, seven counts of child molestation and two counts of sexual battery.
Beeson, 71, surrendered to law enforcement in Flagstaff, Arizona on Saturday, March 31.
According to the news release, Beeson is now awaiting extradition.
The child molestation investigation is ongoing and more charges are pending.
Beeson is reportedly licensed in South Carolina to practice medicine.
He also used to work with the Anderson County VA Clinic as a physician, and retired from there in June 2013.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hart County Sheriff’s Office at 706-376-3114 or the GBI office in Athens at 706-552-2309. (LINK)—4/10/2018
TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD RECORD— J5444 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS— License suspended by Board 4/06/2018; see disciplinary actions at the bottom of this post.
Rockwall pediatrician suspended after staff reports manic outbursts, child tossing
A pediatric doctor in Rockwall has been suspended by the Texas Medical Board after staff at two clinics reported that the physician had been acting erratically for much of the year.
A disciplinary panel of the board issued the temporary suspension of Dr. Kurt Loring Pflieger’s license Friday and determined that his continued practice of medicine “would constitute a continuing threat to the public welfare.”
Pflieger, 62, has practiced medicine for 20 years, including 14 in Texas, according to the medical board. In addition to his primary practice at Rockwall Pediatrics on Ridge Road, he also works at a clinic on East U.S. Highway 80 in Forney.
Rockwall Pediatrics could not be reached for comment Monday.
Co-workers at both clinics observed a “pattern of impaired practice” since January, according to the board. During one incident, the doctor told his staff that that he hadn’t been sleeping and he was experiencing “a full-blown manic episode,” according to the state medical board. He also told staff he was seeing a mental health professional.
Pflieger often seemed distracted and lost focus during appointments, his colleagues said, and would mistakenly issue prescriptions or “obsessively” share personal information with patients and colleagues. He sometimes had slurred speech, and on three straight days in March, he wore the same red shirt and sweatpants and had mussed-up hair, according to the medical board’s order.
Staff at the clinics also noted inappropriate behavior including Pflieger slapping an employee on the buttocks and kissing another employee’s face, as well as making sexual remarks.
While roughhousing with a 2-year-old boy Feb. 11, Pflieger threw the child over his shoulder, resulting in the boy landing on his back and hitting his head on the floor.
The next day, the order says, Pflieger was reportedly in a manic state and yelled “Satan!” during an appointment with two patients at the Rockwall clinic.
The day before the board’s order, Pflieger arrived at work in his pajamas and was crying. His co-workers sought medical help for him.
Pflieger’s suspension will remain in place until the medical board takes further action.
Pflieger has not faced any previous disciplinary action from the board. In October, he was ordered to enroll in continuing medical education courses after he prescribed an uncommon — but recognized — bronchitis treatment without documenting an explanation. (LINK)—4/09/2018
DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
Action Date: 04/06/2018—Document Description: ON APRIL 6, 2018, A DISCIPLINARY PANEL OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED, WITHOUT NOTICE, THE TEXAS MEDICAL LICENSE OF KURT LORING PFLIEGER, M.D. (LIC. NO. J5444), 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. PFLIEGER SUFFERS FROM AN IMPAIRMENT THAT MAKES HIM UNABLE TO SAFELY PRACTICE MEDICINE. A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION HEARING WITH NOTICE WILL BE HELD AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE WITH 10 DAYS’ NOTICE TO DR. PFLIEGER, UNLESS THE HEARING IS SPECIFICALLY WAIVED BY DR. PFLIEGER. THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION REMAINS IN PLACE UNTIL THE BOARD TAKES FURTHER ACTION.
Action Date: 10/20/2017—Document Description: ON OCTOBER 20, 2017, THE BOARD AND KURT LORING PFLIEGER, M.D., ENTERED INTO A NON-DISCIPLINARY REMEDIAL PLAN THAT REQUIRES DR. PFLIEGER TO WITHIN ONE YEAR COMPLETE AT LEAST EIGHT HOURS OF CME, DIVIDED AS FOLLOWS: FOUR HOURS IN MEDICAL RECORD KEEPING AND FOUR HOURS IN TREATMENT OF UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS; AND WITHIN 60 DAYS PAY AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE OF $500 PER YEAR. THE BOARD FOUND DR. PFLIEGER PRESCRIBED A MEDICATION REGIMEN THAT IS NOT COMMONLY USED BUT IS A RECOGNIZED TREATMENT FOR PEDIATRIC ACUTE BRONCHITIS AND FAILED TO DOCUMENT AN EXPLANATION AND/OR JUSTIFICATION FOR THE MEDICATION REGIMEN AND THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PARENTS. DR. PFLIEGER DOES NOT ADMIT OR DENY THE FINDINGS BUT AGREED TO THE REMEDIAL PLAN TO AVOID THE COST AND UNCERTAINTY OF LITIGATION.
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