If a Pennsylvania medical patient accuses a doctor of wrongdoing, the process that unfolds thereafter may intersect both administrative and civil court jurisdictions. Such a situation may prompt a licensing board to take action with respect to a physician’s license to practice. In fact, a doctor in another state recently handed over his license, and it has been reported that multiple civil lawsuits are expected to be filed against him in the near future.
The doctor in this case is an elderly gentleman who, apparently, has been officially diagnosed with dementia. The diagnosis comes in the aftermath of several allegations that the doctor inappropriately touched female patients who came to see him. The doctor himself reportedly admitted that he may, at some point, have touched women’s breasts but only within the context of medical examination.
In the meantime, since he was diagnosed with dementia, criminal charges against him were dropped. The 87-year-old man is said to have voluntarily surrendered his license to practice medicine. It remains to be seen what the outcome of any civil actions against him will be; an attorney for some of the women asserted that such legal claims are not affected by the previous diagnosis of dementia.
In some cases, the voluntary relinquishment of a medical license may be temporary. A Pennsylvania doctor facing similar issues may be able to avoid losing his or her license altogether if a licensing board is convinced that there is no substantial reason to bar a particular individual from his or her medical practice. If a doctor is worried about a specific situation, an experienced professional license defense attorney may be able to help.
Source: wftv.com, “Criminal charges dropped against Lake Mary doctor accused of inappropriately touching patients,” Janine Reyes, Dec. 8, 2017