The Olympian (Olympia, WA)

December 27, 2002 Friday

Doctor’s troubles resurface

BYLINE: Patrick Condon, Staff

SECTION: SOUTH SOUND; Pg. 1B

LENGTH: 702 words

Olympia psychiatrist charged over prescribing pain killers, having relationship with patient
BY PATRICK CONDON
THE OLYMPIAN
The state Department of Health has charged an Olympia psychiatrist with prescribing excessive amounts of pain medication to patients and with maintaining a sexual relationship with a patient after being ordered not to.
Dr. Ralph T. Hummel, who has been practicing medicine in Washington since 1962, will go before the department’s Medical Quality Assurance Commission in April and could face punishment including the revocation of his medical license.
The sexual misconduct complaint stems from an earlier Medical Commission order against Hummel dating to 1993. In that case, Hummel agreed to stop seeing both personally and professionally a patient with whom he had what’s described in department charges as “a longtime extramarital affair.”
Hummel on Thursday refused to talk about the case, except to deny the charges.
“I don’t comment on them, because I have an attorney,” Hummel said. “The charges, I’m denying – and I think that’s all I should say about it.”
Hummel’s attorney, Jack Hanemann, was on vacation Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
According to the charges, Hummel provided psychiatric care to the patient in question on and off from July 1987 to November 1993, treating her for situational depression. “On numerous occasions during the office sessions, (Hummel) would make sexually suggestive comments and flirt with Patient One,” as she is referred to in the charges.
Their sexual relationship began in August 1988, according to the charges.
In December 1993, the Medical Commission learned of the relationship and ordered Hummel to stop all contact, social or professional, with the patient in question. The commission also placed him on probation and ordered him to stop treating female patients, except those in couples therapy and a few disabled patients who attended sessions with a caretaker.
Hummel stipulated to all of the findings and agreed to the Medical Commission’s order. In 1995, he was placed on continued probation and fined $500 when it was discovered he was continuing to treat some female patients by making his wife – also a therapist – the primary counselor, then seeing the patients jointly with her. At the time, the commission believed Hummel’s contention that he didn’t realize he was violating the spirit of the order.
The new charges state that Hummel kept in contact and continued his affair with the patient after the last in-office visit in 1993, in direct violation of the Medical Commission order.
“During this period, Patient One continued to consider (Hummel) as her psychiatrist,” the charges state.
The separate set of charges, related to prescribing pain medication, are more recent. Hummel is charged with prescribing numerous pain medications to four patients over the last four years, including large doses of Vicodin, Robaxin, Hydrocodone, Xanax and Klonopin. In one case, the commission charges that one of the patients gave some of the pain medication to his wife.
“(Hummel) prescribed medications for conditions that are outside the scope of practice as a psychiatrist,” the charges state. “(Hummel) did not maintain complete, adequate or organized patient records for” any of the patients in question.
In one case, the charges state, another doctor treating one of Hummel’s patients sent a letter to Hummel raising concerns about what seemed excessive prescription of pain medications.
Hummel “put each of these patients at an unreasonable risk of harm with the frequent and excessive prescriptions for pain relief medication,” the charges state.
Lisa Noonan, the disciplinary manager for the Medical Commission, wouldn’t predict what steps the commission would take when it considers Hummel’s case. The 21-member commission is made up mostly of medical doctors, as well as several physician assistants and public members.
“I can say that being found out of compliance is a serious issue,” Noonan said.
It’s unlikely that Hummel would face criminal charges, Noonan said. In such cases, she said, prosecutors usually defer to the medical community’s own oversight functions.