MEDIA
Saint Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota) July 31, 1995 Monday METRO FINAL EDITION BOARD OF MEDICAL PRACTICE ISSUES DISCIPLINE MEASURES FOR PHYSICIANS BYLINE: BYLINE: Tom Majeski, Staff Writer SECTION: METRO; Pg. 3B LENGTH: 902 words A St. Paul psychiatrist accused of abusing a young man from South St. Paul has been ordered by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice not to have any contact with juvenile patients. Dr. Richard G. Lunzer, 67, was charged in May in Dakota County District Court with three felony counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree. Lunzer practices in both downtown St. Paul and [...]
PR Newswire July 21, 1995, Friday - 21:05 Eastern Time WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PSYCHIATRIST LICENSE SUSPENDED FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH PATIENT SECTION: State and Regional News LENGTH: 401 words The Washington state Medical Quality Assurance Commission today indefinitely suspended the license of Dr. James R. McGuire for unprofessional conduct. The commission investigated McGuire after the Alaska Medical Board suspended his license for engaging in a sexual relationship with a patient for more than five years. McGuire is a psychiatrist at McNeil Island Corrections Center. OLYMPIA, Wash., July 21 The commission's order also lifts the suspension, allowing McGuire, 46, [...]
Los Angeles Times November 18, 1995, Saturday, Ventura County Edition WEST VENTURA COUNTY FOCUS: OXNARD; DOCTOR ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL PRESCRIPTIONS BYLINE: By PAUL ELIAS SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 2 LENGTH: 146 words Police have arrested an Oxnard psychiatrist at his office on suspicion of prescribing drugs for non-medical purposes. Oxnard police took Dr. Tzeng (Thomas) Chih Chen into custody about 10:30 a.m. Thursday in his small office in the 400 block of West Gonzales Road. He is accused of prescribing Vicodin and Ritalin to patients without examining them thoroughly. Vicodin is an addictive painkiller and Ritalin is an amphetamine [...]
The Roanoke Times (Virginia) March 1, 2003 Saturday Metro Edition PSYCHIATRIST COULD LOSE MEDICAL LICENSE; HE'S ACCUSED OF IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP BYLINE: JEFF STURGEON THE ROANOKE TIMES SECTION: VIRGINIA; Pg. B4 LENGTH: 337 words A veteran psychiatrist at Catawba Hospital who last year settled civil charges that he had an improper relationship with a patient now faces the possibility of discipline by the Virginia Board of Medicine. In a Feb. 14 letter to Dr. John O. Hurt Jr., board executive director William Harp accuses Hurt of having an inappropriate sexual relationship during the mid-1990s with a patient he'd first treated in [...]
The Journal News (Westchester County, NY) April 16, 2003 Wednesday Psychiatrist loses medical license BYLINE: Melissa Klein, Staff SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 4B LENGTH: 480 words Mt. Kisco doctor fined $50,000 by state panel for incompetence Melissa Klein The Journal News A state medical oversight committee has revoked the license of a Mount Kisco psychiatrist and fined the doctor $50,000 for gross negligence and incompetence. The committee of the state Board for Professional Medical Conduct ordered Dr. Jacob Harris to turn in his medical license after an investigation found Harris' practices were "not even remotely within accepted standards of care." The [...]
The Associated Press State & Local Wire May 10, 2003, Saturday, BC cycle Seattle psychiatrist pleads guilty to scheme to get drugs SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 185 words DATELINE: SEATTLE A psychiatrist will be sentenced in July after pleading guilty in federal court to coercing his patients to obtain narcotics for him. Dr. Steven P. Jewitt, 47, pleaded guilty to a single count of obtaining a controlled substance by deception, which is a felony. While working with patients at the Seattle Veterans Administration Hospital, Jewitt prescribed large quantities of narcotics to at least 10 patients and then split the [...]
The San Francisco Chronicle SEPTEMBER 4, 2003, THURSDAY, FINAL EDITION Medical pot doctor faces his accusers; State's witness calls his care inadequate SOURCE: Chronicle Staff Writer BYLINE: Henry K. Lee SECTION: BAY AREA; Pg. A14 LENGTH: 621 words A hearing began Wednesday over whether a Berkeley physician who has approved the use of medicinal marijuana for 7,500 patients should have his license revoked on the grounds that he failed to properly examine them. The controversy pits Dr. Tod Mikuriya, 69, a well-known medical marijuana advocate and psychiatrist who says he is protected under state law, against the Medical Board of [...]
The Associated Press State & Local Wire July 15, 2003, Tuesday, BC cycle Psychiatrist accused of mistreating patients SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 591 words DATELINE: PORTLAND, Ore. A psychiatrist who once nearly lost his license is being investigated after patients at the Oregon State Hospital complained about his behavior and performance. Dr. Charles E. Faulk allegedly denied medication to a severely mentally ill patient, causing the man to fall into psychotic episodes. Others patients claim he verbally abused them, such as telling a Cuban patient to "go back to where you came from." The allegations against Faulk, 53, were [...]
The Washington Post May 30, 1997, Friday, Final Edition Army Southeast Medical Chief Is Forced Out; General Allegedly Had Improper Relationship Dana Priest, Washington Post Staff Writer SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A19 LENGTH: 506 words A one-star general in charge of all Army medical facilities in the Southeast region was permanently relieved of his command yesterday for sexual misconduct, Army officials said last night. Brig. Gen. Stephen N. Xenakis, 48, a psychiatrist who was also in charge of the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Ga., was relieved of his duties because the Army surgeon general "had [...]
Newsday (New York) September 30, 1994, Friday, CITY EDITION A Dr. Feelgood Arrest BYLINE: Eric Wilson SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A39 LENGTH: 111 words A Forest Hills psychiatrist was arrested Wednesday on charges he sold anti-depressant drug prescriptions for cash - an illegal operation prosecutors called "Playing Doctor." A four-count felony complaint was filed against Dr. Philip Kaminstein, who formerly practiced in Rego Park, officials said. Kaminstein, 66, of Forest Hills, allegedly wrote and sold prescriptions for the antidepressant Xanax for about $ 100 to $ 125 apiece, "without any pretense of determining whether the drugs were medically necessary or appropriate [...]
Chicago Tribune August 16, 1994 Tuesday, NORTH SPORTS FINAL EDITION DOCTOR BILLED PATIENT AFTER SEX, STATE RECORDS IN SUSPENSION SHOW BYLINE: By Susan Kuczka, Tribune Staff Writer. SECTION: CHICAGOLAND; Pg. 2; ZONE: N LENGTH: 597 words A Glencoe psychiatrist accused of gross negligence for having sex with female patients and taking gifts from them has had his medical license suspended indefinitely by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations, records showed Monday. Dr. Steven D. Pinkert, 42, a physician and surgeon who also formerly had an office on Chicago's North Side, was suspended as part of a settlement he reached with [...]
Chicago Tribune February 25, 2011 Friday Chicagoland Final Edition 'A danger to his patients'; Psychiatrist with weapons in office, misconduct on record seen as example of faulty system BYLINE: By Megan Twohey, TRIBUNE REPORTER SECTION: NEWS ; ZONE C; Pg. 1 LENGTH: 1554 words One night a Crestwood police sergeant doing a routine building check noticed an open door to the office of psychiatrist Joel Carroll. Stepping inside the cluttered office, he discovered roaming cats, a Colt AR-15 assault rifle and other guns, ammunition, military-grade smoke grenades, sex toys and pornography. "Well, for the lack of better terminology, we considered [...]
States News Service February 24, 2011 Thursday PSYCHIATRIST'S MEDICAL LICENSE IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED ACTION FOLLOWS IOWA DETERMINATION THAT DOCTOR IS UNSAFE TO PRACTICE BYLINE: States News Service LENGTH: 261 words DATELINE: OLYMPIA, WA The following information was released by the Washington State Department of Health: The Medical Quality Assurance Commission has immediately suspended the medical license of psychiatrist Vernon P. Varner (MD60026499). Varner cannot practice medicine in Washington until the charges are resolved. He has 20 days to respond to the charges and to request a hearing. The statement of charges says the Iowa Board of Medicine indefinitely suspended Varner's license [...]
Chicago Sun-Times June 25, 1997, WEDNESDAY, Late Sports Final Edition 'Ostrich Defense' just won't wash BYLINE: Steven P. Garmisa SECTION: FINANCIAL; YOU AND THE LAW; Pg. 58 LENGTH: 641 words Repressing bad thoughts might work as a psychological defense mechanism. But the "Ostrich Defense" (as in: I didn't know what was happening because my head was stuck in the sand) didn't work for a psychiatrist accused of defrauding the government. Dr. George Krizek is a Washington, D.C., psychiatrist. His wife, Blanka Krizek, handled billing for his office. A civil complaint filed by the government accused the Krizeks of "upcoding" bills [...]
Asbury Park Press (New Jersey) November 29, 2010 Monday Jackson psychiatrist gets prison BYLINE: By, ERIK LARSEN SECTION: NEWS LENGTH: 406 words STAFF WRITER A psychiatrist from Jackson was sentenced Monday to three years in state prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently overbill Medicaid and Medicare for almost $50,000, according to state Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor. Dr. Arnold Jacques, 61, the former medical director of the now-defunct Chambers Mental Health Clinic LLC, a mental-health counseling center in Trenton, also was ordered to pay $49,941 in restitution by Superior Court [...]
Newsday (New York) July 2, 1997, Wednesday, NASSAU AND SUFFOLK EDITION ARREST IN HARASSMENT OF DOCTOR BYLINE: By Brett Johnson. STAFF WRITER SECTION: NEWS; Page A25 LENGTH: 229 words A Rego Park psychiatrist was arrested Monday in Mineola for harassing his former supervisor with threatening and anti-Semitic remarks. Dr. Alexander Sporn, 45, of 63-33 98th Place, was charged with aggravated harassment, a second-degree misdemeanor, for comments he repeatedly made over the telephone after being fired from St. Johns's Hospital in Far Rockaway in December, 1996, according to police reports. Beginning in May until his arrest, Sporn made eight documented calls [...]
Business Wire October 27, 1997, Monday State revokes license of Vancouver Psychiatrist LENGTH: 208 words DATELINE: OLYMPIA, Wash. Oct. 27, 1997--The license of Dr. Elena H. Wolfenson (MD20328) was revoked for 10 years last week by the state Medical Quality Assurance Commission. Wolfenson's license was revoked by the state of Oregon after she failed a competency test given by the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners. Three psychiatrists chosen by the Oregon board found that Wolfenson was unable to answer a reasonable amount of questions in her area of her expertise, child psychiatry. Because Wolfenson failed the test and was revoked [...]
City News Service No City News Service material may be republished without the express written permission of City News Service, Inc. June 18, 1998, Thursday Assault Lawsuit LENGTH: 204 words DATELINE: SANTA ANA A psychiatrist who gave up his medical license and the convicted child molester who lived with him were sued by a former patient who said the two sexually assaulted him on the pretext of providing therapy. The plaintiff, who was 16 years old in 1994 when treatment began, accused Dr. Burnell G. Forgey, 80, and James Crummel, 54, of fondling him and performing sex acts, the Orange [...]
The Houston Chronicle October 17, 1997, Friday 3 STAR EDITION Lawsuit against psychiatrist who treated killer reinstated by court SOURCE: Staff BYLINE: GEORGE FLYNN SECTION: A; Pg. 37 LENGTH: 472 words The widow of a man killed by his deranged stepson had her lawsuit reinstated Thursday against a psychiatrist accused of failing to warn the family about the stepson's threats prior to the 1988 killing. The First Court of Appeals ruled Thursday in a wrongful death negligence suit by Lyndall Zezulka against Dr. Renu Thapar, the psychiatrist who treated her son, Vietnam veteran Freddy Ray Lilly. Lilly, 51, was living [...]
City News Service No City News Service material may be republished without the express written permission of City News Service, Inc. February 4, 1998, Wednesday License Revoked LENGTH: 276 words DATELINE: SANTA ANA The Newport Beach psychiatrist who lived with a pedophile and allegedly allowed him to tag along on visits to group youth homes has lost his license. Burnell Forgey, 80, surrendered the license rather than fight charges by the Medical Board of California accusing him of gross negligence for allegedly allowing James Lee Crummel to visit group homes with Forgey on professional visits to troubled youth. The board [...]
Saint Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota) August 5, 1997 Tuesday THREE PHYSICIANS' LICENSES SUSPENDED BY STATE BOARD BYLINE: Tom Majeski, Staff Writer SECTION: METRO; Pg. 3B LENGTH: 584 words A Minneapolis psychiatrist and a Grand Rapids physician have had their medical licenses suspended for engaging in sexual relations with their patients, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice has announced. The board also suspended the licenses of a St. Louis Park physician and the registration of a respiratory care practitioner from Zim. It also amended an earlier order for a Minnetonka physician, reprimanded a St. Cloud physical therapist and restricted the license [...]
The Houston Chronicle July 16, 1997, Wednesday, 3 STAR Edition Psychiatrist sentenced BYLINE: Houston Chronicle News Services SECTION: a; State briefs; Pg. 27 LENGTH: 187 words DATELINE: FORT WORTH FORT WORTH - A psychiatrist and an office manager affiliated with the scandal-plagued Psychiatric Institute of Fort Worth were sentenced to federal prison Monday for mail fraud and conspiracy convictions. Dr. Henry Edward Eugene Bonham, 55, and Beverly Bulger, 38, were convicted by a federal jury March 28 of lying about medical treatment that was never provided. Bonham was sentenced to 7 1/4 years in prison and ordered to pay $ [...]
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) December 1, 2005 Thursday 2 Late Tampa Edition Ex-USF psychiatrist charged after he is sued BYLINE: CANDACE RONDEAUX SECTION: TAMPA & STATE; Pg. 3B LENGTH: 336 words DATELINE: TAMPA The Hillsborough State Attorney has lodged a formal criminal charge against a prominent former University of South Florida psychiatrist accused of molesting a female patient. Dr. Anthony T. Reading was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery nearly two years after three of his female patients filed sexual misconduct complaints with Tampa police, alleging he had sexually molested them. Prosecutors filed the charge on Nov. 23, but [...]
The Associated Press State & Local Wire These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press December 27, 2005, Tuesday, BC cycle Muscatine psychiatrist loses license SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 108 words DATELINE: MUSCATINE, Iowa, A Muscatine psychiatrist had his license suspended by the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners. James Yeltatzie, 46, poses "an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare," the board said in a statement released this month. Yeltatzie had been suspended or disciplined by the board on several occasions. He is charged with professional incompetence and practice detrimental [...]
Marin Independent Journal (Marin, CA) January 17, 2006 Tuesday Mill Valley doctor's license suspended for misconduct BYLINE: Richard Halstead SECTION: MARIN LENGTH: 539 words A retired Mill Valley psychiatrist has surrendered his license for at least three years after the Medical Board of California ruled that he was guilty of unprofessional conduct and gross negligence in his treatment of another Mill Valley resident. According to state documents, Dr. Michael Joseph Dietrick, 62, was grossly negligent in treating the patient in light of his long-term personal and business relationships with the patient's father and other members of his family. The patient [...]