State halts admissions to Arbour-HRI psych facility for unsafe conditions

A Brookline psychiatric hospital was ordered to stop admitting patients by a state agency because of what the state deemed to be unsafe conditions.

The Department of Mental Health conducted a surprise inspection of Arbour-HRI Hospital in Brookline on Oct. 24 and reportedly found a number of infractions. After that inspection, the department asked the hospital to submit a corrective action plan to address the deficiencies. That plan was submitted on Nov. 15, but it did not adequately address the issues, according to the state.

One of those issues was an incident on Sept. 4. The state did not immediately release details about the incident, but the TAB has filed a request for more information.

The order was first reported in the Boston Globe as part of a investigative series the paper did into Arbour-HRI’s parent company, Universal Health Services, and its repeated citations for understaffing and poor worker training at numerous facilities across the country.

The state eventually rejected Arbour-HRI’s plan and required Arbour to submit a new plan within 10 days. If the new plan does not address the deficiencies, the state will suspend Arbour’s license, according to the letter.

The state’s letter, written by Lizbeth Kinkead, director of licensing for the Department of Mental Health, states that the department received numerous phone calls from anonymous sources describing unsafe conditions at the hospital, as well as pictures showing the staff acting inappropriately and unsafe practices at the facility.

Before suspending admissions to the hospital, the state previously cut down the amount of patients allowed at the mental care facility, but that did not seem to curb the infractions, “raising an immediate and serious concern that patient safety and care at Arbour/HRI is substantially compromised,” according to the letter.

The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: Ignacio Laguarda, “State orders Brookline psychiatric hospital to stop admitting patients,” Brookline Tab, November 27, 2013.

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Oregon psychologist James Johnson disciplined immoral/unprofessional conduct

On August 18, 2013, the Oregon board of Psychologist Examiners issued a stipulated order on psychologist James Johnson, subjecting him to practice supervision with a licensed, board-approved psychologist for a minimum of one year. According to the Board’s document, Johnson committed immoral or unprofessional conduct and exceeded the boundaries of his competence with a female patient who had come to him not for treatment but seeking a disability accommodation due to a spinal injury and other conditions. During the course of their first meeting, Johnson remarked to the client “Well, let me say I’m attracted to you, and could probably love you, just to get that out of the way” and told her that “my first instinct is to rescue you.” He also referred to the client as an “angel.” Further, he told the client imagine a beam of light was her spine and to visualize it as straight and that by having her do this, he was starting the healing process. The client did not return for further meetings.

Oregon psychologist Robert Cooley retires license on charges of unprofessional conduct

On August 11, 2013, psychiatrist Robert Cooley permanently retired his license to the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners. Cooley is the founder and owner of Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Expeditions (Freer), a wilderness psychotherapy and chemical dependency program for teenagers, which closed down in June 2012. On various occasions during the operation of the Freer program, Cooley engaged in verbal communications that were offensive to certain female staff under his supervision and which violated Oregon Statutes relative to unprofessional conduct and the Ethical Principles of Psychologists precept regarding avoiding harm.

California medical board suspends psychiatrist Dayalal D. Tank for incompetence

On October 2, 2013, the Medical Board of California issued an interim order of suspension against psychiatrist Dayalal Debraj Tank. The Board’s document states that in 2009, Tank’s employer, Citrus Valley Medical Center initiated a peer review process of Tank, due to concerns regarding his patient admission rate and his progress notes. Tank was required to attend the Physician Assessment and Clinical Evaluation (PACE) program at the University of California Medical School in 2009; he failed both phase I and II of the program. He attended the PACE program again in 2013 and again failed both phases of the program.

Psychiatrist Bolarinwa Oluwole guilty of professional misconduct; did not tell Irish authorities he’d lost his license in Canada

Dr Bolarinwa Oluwole had intercourse with women who came to him for psychiatric help while working in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. He also kept a stash of prescription medication, pornography and condoms in his office desk.

Dr Oluwole was struck off the Nova Scotian register in 2012 but just months later turned up looking for work in Ireland.

However, he lasted just one day as a locum psychiatrist in the Cavan-Monaghan area before a tip-off led to his past being uncovered.

DEPRESSION

The whereabouts of the Nigerian-born doctor are not now known and he did not turn up for the fitness to practise inquiry that found him guilty of three allegations of professional misconduct.

These allegations were that he lied when applying for registration in Ireland and that he failed to disclose to the Medical Council that his licence to practise in Nova Scotia had been revoked.

It was also alleged that he failed to reveal that disciplinary proceedings were being taken against him when he applied for work in Ireland.

Documents from the Nova Scotian medical authorities show that Dr Oluwole was employed as a staff psychiatrist in Yarmouth Regional Hospital between January 2008 and March 2010.

That same month two patients filed complaints of sexual misconduct against him, while a third woman filed a complaint in September 2011.

One of the women, identified as Patient A, was seeking help for issues with depression and suicidal thoughts but claimed Dr Oluwole took advantage of her by engaging in hugging, kissing and touching that led to sexual intercourse.

Another woman claimed Dr Oluwole hugged, touched and fondled her, leading to full sexual intercourse.

Dr Oluwole admitted to all the allegations against him in a hearing in September 2012 and was struck off the medical register for Nova Scotia the following month.

Yesterday the Irish Medical Council heard that in April 2012, Dr Oluwole applied to have his registration to practise medicine in Ireland renewed.

He had originally been registered in Ireland in 2005 but his name had been removed due to the non-payment of fees.

The fitness to practise inquiry’s decision will now be forwarded to the full board of the Medical Council which will decide what penalty to impose.

Source: Kevin Keane, “Psychiatrist lied about sex with patients, inquiry told,” Irish Independent, November 26, 2013.

Psychiatrist Manilall Maharajh loses license over sex with patient; paid her to keep quiet about it

A psychiatrist who had a sexual relationship with a vulnerable patient, and paid her tens of thousands of dollars to keep quiet about it has been stripped of his registration and ordered to pay more than $70,000.

Dr Manilall Maharajh, whose name suppression has been lifted, was found guilty of professional misconduct by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in September.

The tribunal’s director of proceedings, Aaron Martin, said Dr Maharajh was unfit to practise as a psychiatrist, and would be a danger to the public if he continued to do so.

A hearing in August heard allegations he had filmed himself having sex with the patient, Ms Y.

Dr Maharajh entered into a relationship with the woman in 2008.

During their relationship, he also prescribed an anti-depressant drug to Ms Y without “adequate clinical justification”.

Later, she asked him for compensation for “injury to her feelings and loss she had suffered”.

Instead of following protocols, Dr Maharajh began paying Ms Y. The payments continued even after she laid a complaint with the Health and Disability Commissioner.

The tribunal also found Dr Maharajh had encouraged Ms Y to mislead the Health and Disability Commissioner about the nature of their relationship.

The tribunal cancelled Dr Maharajh’s registration and ordered him to pay $27,000 to the Medical Council and $46,000 to the Health and Disability Commissioner.

Dr Maharajh formerly lived in Tauranga but now works in Australia.

Source: Brendan Manning, “Psychiatrist stripped of registration,” New Zealand Herald, November 23, 2013.

Medical board reprimands psychiatrist Ali Ebrahimi over excessive prescribing

The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice disciplined Minneapolis doctor Ali Ebrahimi following a board meeting earlier this month, the agency announced.

Ebrahimi, a psychiatrist who practices with Associated Clinic of Psychology in Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis, offers psychiatric evaluations and medication management, according to his biography.

The board received a complaint in July 2011 that Ebrahimi inappropriately prescribed drugs to a patient with a history of alcohol and chemical abuse, according to the stipulation and order. The complaint accused him of prescribing medicine for the patient’s chronic pain without recognizing the patient’s behaviors.

An investigation by the Attorney General’s Office found several cases in which Ebrahimi authorized “excessive quantities of controlled substances” based on patients’ claims of pain or other symptoms. In those cases, he failed to document objective clinical reasons for why the medicine was needed and an overall health plan, as well as failing to address collateral health concerns.

He also failed to monitor the efficacy of the medicine, monitor patients’ compliance, conduct pill counts, listen to warnings from other health care providers and recognize his patients’ drug-seeking behaviors.

In addition, he didn’t maintain adequate records. Investigators found at least 41 occasions when he prescribed a medication without documenting it in the clinic record.

The board found Ebrahimi guilty of “unethical and unprofessional conduct; improper management of medical records; inappropriate prescribing practices.”

It added the following conditions to Ebrahimi’s license:

“He is reprimanded;

“He shall read the Model Policy for pain control published by the Federation of State Medical Boards and Responsible Opioid Prescribing, A Clinician’s Guide, 2nd Edition, by Scott M. Fishman, M.D.;

“He shall complete, within one year, the following pre-approved courses: Chemical dependency awareness, Boundaries.

“Six months following successful completion of the pre-approved courses, he shall undergo an audit of his prescribing practices;

“Before prescribing a Schedule II-IV drug, he shall check the Minnesota Prescription Monitoring Program;

“He shall develop, and submit for Committee approval, a written protocol for the management and tracking of controlled substance prescriptions;

“He shall develop, and submit for Committee approval, a narcotics agreement to be used with all chronic pain patients;

“He shall pay a civil penalty of $6575.60;

“This Stipulation and Order will remain in effect for a minimum of one year.  At the end of this period, he may petition for reinstatement of an unconditional license.  Upon hearing the petition, the Board may continue, modify or remove the conditions set out herein.

http://southwestminneapolis.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/medical-board-disciplines-three-minneapolis-providershttp://southwestminneapolis.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/medical-board-disciplines-three-minneapolis-providers

Georgia psychiatrist George Johnson suspended for sexual abuse

On January 10, 2013, the Georgia Composite Medical Board reprimanded psychiatrist George Johnson and placed his license on indefinite suspension for, among other things, unprofessional or unethical conduct and “an act of sexual abuse, misconduct, or exploitation of a patient….” His license will be put on probation for three years after it is reinstated.

State suspends counselor Joseph J. Anderson for improper relationship with minor client’s mother

On October 1, 2012, the Idaho Board suspended the license of professional counselor Joseph J. Anderson for two years. The Board’s document states that Anderson allegedly entered into an improper sexual and/or rormantic relationship with the mother of a minor client and allegedly engaged in boundary violations and/or improper dual interpersonal relations with respect to the client’s mother.

Clinical social worker Donald Gloege placed under supervision following inquiry into patient’s sexual past

On August 3, 2013, the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board placed clinical social worker Donald Gloege on practice supervision for one year with terms and conditions.

The Board’s document states that during treatment of client which began in 2004, Gloege “pursued a detailed inquiry in to the client’s past and present sexual experiences, practices and functioning.”

The client asserted to the Board that she did not understand the therapeutic relevance of the questions; that they were based on Gloege’s personal sexual interest in her; that they were irrelevant and inappropriate; and served to lower her self-esteem and dignity.

Gloege asserted that the client felt this way due to her own transference. He further asserted that this line of questioning was based, in part, “on a therapeutic model that included explicit exploration of the client’s past sexual history….”

Gloege’s documentation however did not provide the necessary clinical foundation sufficient to support the therapeutic relevance of his sexual inquiry of the client.