As seen in the Muscatine Journal
A psychiatrist from Muscatine will no longer be able to practice in Iowa after years of accusations of prescribing practices that put one patient in “grave danger” and inappropriate sexual behavior.
The Iowa Board of Medical Examiners revoked the license of James Yeltatzie after the most recent of a string of problems that date back 15 years.
Yeltatzie, whose practice is closed, and his attorney, John Wunder, Muscatine, could not be reached for comment by press deadline this morning.
One doctor who testified on Yeltatzie’s behalf said “these deficiencies were more the product of (Yeltatzie’s) empathy and caring for patients and did not reflect general incompetency,” documents state. The doctor also “mentioned the ‘demographics’ of rural practice and opined (Yeltatzie) did his best to treat these patients.”
But the board, in its decision, said:
“The board was unconvinced that (Yeltatzie) is currently capable of practicing psychiatry in a competent and responsible manner and is at a loss to recommend any additional training or treatment that could effectively correct the gross deficiencies in his medical practice, ethics and decision making.”
The board outlined several cases it reviewed as part of the investigation. In one instance, Yeltatzie was treating a patient for panic disorder with agoraphobia. The patient was placed on Zoloft and Xanex. Despite saying that the dosage needed to be lowered, Yeltatzie increased the dosage to above the “usual maximum dose.”
His “decision to prescribe huge doses of Xanex, with refills, immediately after he told the patient he needed to taper off the medication, made no sense and put the patient in grave danger,” one peer review committee found.
Yeltatzie received a license to practice in Iowa in 1988.
It was suspended in 1991, after he was accused of making improper physical contact with and making improper remarks and advances to three patients. He also was charged with “suffering from a mental condition affecting his relationship with patients,” as well as possession of marijuana and filing a false license application with the board.
His license was reinstated in 1994, and he was placed on probation for five years. He was required to practice only psychiatry, have a supervisor and a one-way viewing window into his exam room, abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs, submit blood and urine samples on demand and attend a weekly meeting of Sexual Addicts Anonymous.
Five years later, in 1999, he was charged with violating his probation. Specifically, the board accused him of practicing outside of psychiatry, improperly using controlled or prescription drugs and not filing required reports with the board.
He was fined $6,000 and required to submit to a psychiatric evaluation and treatment by a board-approved psychiatrist.
In 2002, the board began receiving “numerous complaints” about Yeltatzie’s care, including his “prescribing practices, practicing outside the scope of psychiatry and his failure to return phone calls.
“Multiple investigations” began, documents say. The board began a peer review with two psychiatrists in late 2005. That investigation resulted in the revocation.
No comments:
Post a Comment