State of Florida FINALLY takes action on psychiatrist with history of ampthetamine abuse

On June 18, 2014 the Florida Board of Medicine accepted Florida psychiatrist’s David G. Malen’s voluntary relinquishment of his medical license.

Per the terms of the agreement Malen may never again apply for a physician’s license in Florida.

The Florida Department of Health initiated its case against Malen in 2007.

The administrative complaint which resulted in Malen giving up his license, contained information about Malen’s “history of taking ‘extraordinary’ doses of amphetamines with extreme difficulties resulting from the drugs, including depression, suicide attempts and psychosis,” as well as his continued use of and addiction to the substance.

The Department of Health’s document further contains information about Malen’s submission to the state’s Professionals Resource Network (“PRN,” a program for impaird physicians) in 2008. This resulted in Malen undergoing several psychiatric evaluations between 2008 and 2011, all of which found him impaired, yet it appears that the state continued to allow him to practice.

You read that correctly: Malen’s drug addiction was a well-documented concern since 2007, yet his license was free and clear from 2007 to June 2014.

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UK psych nurse who battered girlfriend loses nursing license

A nurse is on the run after being caught on CCTV beating up his girlfriend.

Malvern Kurehwa, 38, is being sought by Surrey Police for a separate matter and it is believed he has fled to Zimbabwe.

Kurehwa, from Rosehill, had pleaded guilty to battery of his girlfriend at Sutton Magistrates Court on October 20, 2009 and was ordered to pay a fine of £230.

As a result of the sentence, Malvern Kurehwa, 38, was told his fitness to practice as a mental health nurse was compromised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

He was due to face the NMC on Friday (December 14) to hear the panel determine his future, but he failed to show up.

He informed the panel in October this year that he was raising funds for a flight in order to attend the hearing.

A panel decided in his absence that he should be struck off the nursing register as: “The panel cannot be satisfied that there was no longer a risk of Mr Kurehwa’s conduct being repeated.

The panel concluded that there is a real, current need for public protection in this case.”

At the hearing at the International Dispute Resolutions Centre on Fleet Street, Central London, the panel heard about the incident which gave rise to his conviction.

On October 18, 2009, Kurehwa had called police from a phonebox in Rosehill claiming he was being attacked by his girlfriend.

However CCTV footage in fact showed him punching his girlfriend in the head at least four times whilst holding her around her neck before dragging her to the floor and pushing her across the road.

A report of the NMC hearing said: “In considering Mr Kurehwa’s fitness to practise, the panel reminded itself of its duty to protect patients and its wider duty to protect the public interest which includes the declaring and upholding of proper standards of conduct and behaviour.”

“The panel considered that Mr Kurehwa’s actions are fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register.”

Source: James Pepper, “Rosehill nurse Malvern Kurehwa struck off after battering girlfriend,” The Guardian, December 27, 2012.

State denies application of social worker over employment disciplinary history

On February 3, 2012, the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners denied the licensed master social worker application of Marilyn Foster, based on unprofessional conduct.

According to the Board’s disciplinary report, Foster refused to attend a mandatory meeting called by her employer regarding complaints filed against her, and job and supervisory performance matters.

The Board’s reports states that over a five-year period, the employer noted that improvement was needed regarding the timeliness in corrective actions for employees under her supervision and that she failed to meet required productivity goals and that there was an ongoing struggle to be accepted by her supervisees.

She also had received three disciplinary reports due to her and her team’s delays in submitted mental status reports and that the Board had received several complaints from staff members stating that she’d engaged in inappropriate communications of a sexual/derogatory nature towards employees.

Foster was terminated for inappropriate behavior, lack of team leadership and management and not following a directive from her supervisor.

Source: Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Adverse Action Tracking Form, 2012.