Medical Licensing

October 23, 2010

Grapevine Gynecology Doctor Speaks Out And Defends Foreign Mirena IUDs

As a Dallas Medical License and Doctor Defense attorney, I am providing an update to the story I blogged about yesterday.

In an interview with News 8, Dr. Angela Cope, the clinic stated that they stand by their decision to insert a product they still believe is safe — despite warnings of counterfeits by the FDA and the manufacturer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

“There is not any medical difference in a Mirena imported from Canada versus a Mirena that’s imported from America,” Dr. Cope said.

But now, many women want to know how they can be sure their Mirena IUD is the FDA-approved version.

Read the full story here.

October 22, 2010

Grapevine Texas Gynecology Clinic Charged With Offering Unauthorized Mirena IUD

by Dr. Shezad Malik

As a Fort Worth Medical Licensing and Doctor license defense attorney, I read this story with alarm. The Texas Attorney General (OAG) filed lawsuit against a Grapevine Texas women’s health clinic for selling Mirena intrauterine devices (IUDs) that were not approved for sale in the United States.

The lawsuit names Women’s Integrated Healthcare, P.A. and six of its physicians as defendants: Angela L. Cope, M.D.; Barbara Coulter-Smith, D.O.; Katrina E. Allen, M.D.; Courtney Walters, M.D.; Monica E. Lopez, M.D.; and Wendy A. Kendrick, D.O.

Read the lawsuit here.

Read the Office of Attorney General full story here.

In December 2009, the defendants voluntarily stopped selling and administering the unapproved IUDs. The Office of the Attorney General is seeking a court order requiring that the defendants only purchase and sell FDA-approved IUDs, and will impose hefty civil penalties for violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (TDTPA) and the Texas Health and Safety Code.

You can also bet that the Texas Medical Board will weigh in with penalties, license complaints and sanctions.

October 1, 2010

Texas Doctor Fined For Filing Abusive Lawsuit

by Dr. Shezad Malik

As a Fort Worth Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice attorney, I read with interest this Texas medical malpractice story. The Texas Medical Board accuses Dr. Rahul Nath of performing unjustified surgery after taking MRIs and diagnosing shoulder injuries that “cannot possibly be seen,” and to charging excessive fees.

Now a Harris County judge has ordered him to pay $726,000 to Texas Children’s Hospital for the hospital’s legal fees. Read the full story here.

I have a similar medical malpractice case where a doctor charged my client for medical surgical procedures, even though she had insurance which would have covered the routine surgery cost. She was conned into paying several thousand dollars and was told it was a cosmetic procedure not covered by insurance.

July 19, 2010

Texas Doctor Who Fought Nurses’ Grievances Faces TMB Complaint

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The trouble started in April 2009, when nurses, Anne Mitchell and Vickilyn Galle, sent an unsigned letter to the Texas Medical Board outlining concerns about Dr. Rolando G. Arafiles Jr., including his alleged use of herbal remedies and attempt to use hospital supplies to perform at-home procedures.

Arafiles filed a harassment complaint with county officials, and the nurses were charged criminally with felony misuse of official information and fired from their jobs at Winkler County Memorial Hospital.

Now, the medical board has filed a complaint alleging Arafiles used “poor medical judgment” and “poor decision-making,” overbilled patients, prescribed nontherapeutic treatments and intimidated witnesses. Betsy Blaney, Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News 07/19/2010

Read Article: The Dallas Morning News

May 24, 2010

Oklahoma Revokes Doctors’ Licenses.

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision revoked the licenses of three doctors and accepted the license surrender of an Oklahoma City surgeon who was the subject of an international controversy after a brain surgery that ended in a teenager’s death.

Dr. Paul Christopher Francel has been sued for medical negligence more than 30 times from June 2000 through May 2009, board investigators wrote in a complaint against him.

Read more: http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-doctors-lose-licenses-are-disciplined/article/3462794?custom_click=pod_headline_health#ixzz0oc7aDKqi

April 27, 2010

U.S. hospitals Are Not Reporting Disciplinary Action to National Databank

by Dr. Shezad Malik

For almost 20 years, federal law has required hospitals and medical boards to report doctors they discipline — for medical incompetence, unprofessional conduct, and substandard care to the National Practitioner Data Bank.

It was designed to protect the public from bad doctors, particularly those who move to another hospital or another state to try to hide their mistakes.

The Data Bank allows hospitals and other medical organizations to see a doctor’s disciplinary record before hiring him or her — with a single, simple check instead of having to contact medical boards in every state.

Read the full story here.

April 2, 2010

Michael Jackson Doctor Fights to Keep Medical License

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Michael Jackson’s doctor is “hanging on by a thread” and must be allowed to continue practicing medicine in order to pay for his defense on a manslaughter charge in the pop star’s death, the physician’s lawyers said in court papers.

Responding to a bid by the California attorney general to suspend Dr. Conrad Murray’s medical license pending trial, attorneys Ed Chernoff and Joseph Low said that the effect would be devastating to the doctor who already faces a slew of financial problems.

Read full story here.

March 6, 2010

Texas Medical Board Disciplines 70 Doctors

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Since its November 5-6 meeting, the Texas Medical Board has taken disciplinary action against 70 licensed physicians.

The actions included one temporary suspension; 21 violations based on quality of care; five actions based on unprofessional conduct; four nontherapeutic prescribing violations; 17 actions based on inadequate medical records violations; one action based on failure to properly supervise or delegate; two actions based on violation of probation or prior order; two revocations and one action for impairment due to alcohol or drugs; one order modifying a prior order; four actions based on actions by another state or entity; seven voluntary surrenders; one action for failure to provide medical records; and three automatic suspension or revocation orders. In addition, the Medical Board issued one cease and desist order and took action against one surgical assistant.

Read the full report here at the Texas Medical Board.https://www.shezadmalik.com/lawyer-attorney-1374121.html

February 15, 2010

Los Angeles Lap-Band Ads

by Dr. Shezad Malik

Los Angeles is awash in billboards and other outdoor signs advertising the weight loss treatment.

One feature of life in Southern California that’s become hard to avoid is the relentless advertising for a weight-loss procedure known as lap-band surgery.

The billboards feature a willowy blond in a red tank top and the phone number 1-800-GET-THIN in huge red letters. “LOSE WEIGHT WITH THE LAP-BAND!” they say.

Read the full story here in the Los Angeles Times

June 24, 2009

Texas Medical Board New Rules June 2009

by Dr. Shezad Malik

The following is a summary of the changes effective on June 24, 2009. Click here for the complete board rules.

Chapter 162, Supervision of Medical School Students, with amendments to §162.1 Supervision of Medical Students, which clarifies the intent of the amendment previously adopted, which became effective on March 9, 2009. The Board determined that the revised language was necessary based on questions received regarding interpretation.

Chapter 165, Medical Records, with amendments to §165.3, Patient Access to Diagnostic Imaging Studies in Physician’s Office, which expands the rule to include non-static diagnostic imaging studies and imaging studies that are maintained in electronic format. The Board determined that the rule change was necessary to clarify the definition of diagnostic imaging studies for the purpose of releasing such records to requestors for medical records.

Chapter 173, Physician Profiles, with amendments to §173.1, Profile Contents, which requires that the profile of each licensed physician shall contain the physician’s full name as the physician is licensed. The Board determined that the change was necessary to allow the Board to appropriately track all physicians licensed by the Board rather than allowing physicians to identify themselves under multiple names when submitting documents to the Board.