A Grand Rapids doctor is now facing a felony after continuing to practice despite a summary suspension order against him, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced. The doctor, 52, has been charged with one count of unauthorized practice of a health profession, a four-year felony.
The doctor practiced the specialty of urogynecology out of his clinic in the city of Grand Rapids. With authorization from the Board of Medicine, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) investigated his practices and filed an administrative complaint against him on May 17, 2022.
The administrative complaint alleged negligence, incompetence, and lack of good moral character. Based upon the allegations in the administrative complaint, and in consultation with the Board of Medicine, LARA executed a summary suspension of his license to practice medicine on May 23 and it was served the following day.
Both LARA and the Attorney General conducted additional investigations into allegations that the doctor treated a patient at his clinic on May 28.
“A physician who knowingly violates the inherent trust patients place in their doctors does irreparable damage,” said Nessel. “I encourage anyone with concerns about the conduct and practices of this physician to report their concerns to my department.”
Issue:
Professional licenses should be verified upon hire, and the OIG’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) should be checked monthly to ensure no current employees are on the list. Professional license active status should also be tracked regularly.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures for verifying the status of professional licenses. Update as necessary.
- Train appropriate staff to follow protocols for verification of licenses and certifications of employees at the time of hire and on an ongoing basis to ensure that those licenses remain up-to-date and are unencumbered. Ensure that training is provided to licensed personnel about their responsibility to maintain an active license and to notify administration should their license be suspended, expire, or if they are added to the OIG’s LEIE. Document that these trainings occurred, and file the signed documents in each employee’s education file.
- Periodically audit to verify that the licensing and certifications of employees are valid and up-to-date. Immediately address any negative findings.
