MEDIA
The Daily Gazette December 31, 2012 Monday Schenectady/Albany; Final Edition Psychiatrist placed on 2-year probation BYLINE: STEVEN COOK; Gazette Reporter SECTION: B: LOCAL; Pg. B2 LENGTH: 306 words An Albany psychiatrist accepted a two-year stayed suspension of his license earlier this month from a state board over what his attorney called a documentation issue. Gregory Lavigne, a psychiatrist practicing in Albany, had been accused of both gross negligence, a lower-level negligence and failure to maintain records, all connected with three separate patients. In an agreement filed earlier in December with the state Board for Professional Medical Conduct, Lavigne admitted to [...]
Contra Costa Times (California) December 12, 2012 Wednesday California prison phychiatrist under investigation for $800,000 pay BYLINE: By Thomas Peele Staff writer SECTION: BREAKING; News LENGTH: 578 words An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Dr. Mohammad Safi of Newark was sued in state court by a collections agency in 2011 for an undisclosed amount. The suit was filed against a different Mohammad Safi. After raking in half a million dollars for being "on call," California's top paid public employee of 2011 -- a prison psychiatrist from Newark -- has been suspended with pay for allegedly falsifying time [...]
Chicago Tribune July 27, 2001 Friday SOUTHWEST FINAL EDITION Doctor's state license revoked in diploma probe BYLINE: By Diana Strzalka, Tribune staff reporter SECTION: METRO; ZONE: SW; Pg. 5 LENGTH: 337 words The state has revoked the medical license of a psychiatrist who worked for five years in Illinois' mental health system, including a job as medical director at the Tinley Park Mental Health Center, because of questions about the authenticity of his medical diploma, according to a report issued Thursday by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. The Illinois license of Joseph Kleinplatz--who holds a license in New York, [...]
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 [...]
Daily News (New York) November 27, 2002, Wednesday IT'S THE CLINK FOR KID SHRINK BYLINE: BY BARBARA ROSS SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 24 LENGTH: 197 words A Brooklyn psychiatrist whose company was once a major provider of therapy services to preschoolers was sentenced to up to 7 1/2 years in prison yesterday for overbilling the city by $1.2 million. Jack Retkinsky, 55, also was ordered to repay about half the stolen money. Retkinsky was executive director of the Retberg Child Center, a leading provider of speech, physical and other therapy services for city kids. Until it went out of business in [...]
Los Angeles Times January 4, 1995, Wednesday, Home Edition METROPOLITAN DIGEST / LOS ANGELES COUNTY NEWS IN BRIEF: SANTA MONICA; PSYCHIATRIST NAMED IN SEX MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 2; Column 3; Metro Desk LENGTH: 168 words The Medical Board of California announced Tuesday that it has filed a sexual misconduct complaint against a Santa Monica psychiatrist who allegedly had an affair with a juvenile patient's mother, whom he was also treating. Dr. Carl D. Utsinger is accused of unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, sexual misconduct and repeated negligent acts, said Deputy Atty. Gen. Rosa Mosley. The board alleges [...]
Los Angeles Times March 21, 1995, Tuesday, Valley Edition DOCTOR SENTENCED FOR DEFRAUDING INSURANCE COMPANIES; COURTS: PSYCHIATRIST ADMITS TAKING PART IN A WEIGHT-LOSS PROGRAM AND SUBMITTING BILLS FOR NON-COVERED TREATMENT. BYLINE: By NICHOLAS RICCARDI, TIMES STAFF WRITER SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 4 LENGTH: 541 words A psychiatrist was sentenced Monday to six months at a halfway house for falsifying documents at Van Nuys Community Hospital to bilk insurance companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments for weight-disorder treatments. Barry Smolev, 48, a former chief psychiatric resident at UCLA Medical Center who now has a private practice [...]
USA TODAY May 1, 1995, Monday, FINAL EDITION ACROSS THE USA: NEWS FROM EVERY STATE ANCHORAGE - The state Medical board has lifted the suspension of psychiatrist James McGuire. But he can only treat men. His license was suspended in '94 after he admitting having sex with a patient with multiple personality disorders.
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution April 12, 1995, Wednesday, ALL EDITIONS Psychiatrist, accountant given 2 years for fraud BYLINE: Ellen Whitford; STAFF WRITER SECTION: LOCAL NEWS, Pg. 4B LENGTH: 376 words A Dunwoody psychiatrist and Decatur accountant were sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison for bilking Medicaid of up to $ 534,000 by falsely claiming to provide therapy to low-income children. Dr. Theodore Smith, 41, president of the medical staff at Charter Peachford Hospital, and accountant Helen Battle Malone, 45, were sentenced in DeKalb County Superior Court and ordered to repay Medicaid $ 235,717, the loss for which authorities [...]
Orlando Sentinel (Florida) May 8, 1995 Monday, CENTRAL FLORIDA CASE AGAINST PSYCHIATRIST UPHILL BATTLE, STATE ADMITS SECTION: LOCAL & STATE; Pg. C3 LENGTH: 141 words DATELINE: DELRAY BEACH A psychiatrist accused of having sex with two underage patients who subsequently committed suicide is scheduled to go on trial May 22, but prosecutors admit they have a near-impossible case. Dr. Keith Haynes, 54, has been charged with four counts of sexual activity with a child, based on allegations made by patient Keith Pillow before he killed himself last year by overdosing on sleeping pills and pain killers. At a March hearing, [...]