California suspends license for Fairfield psychiatrist

From a much larger report in the Daily Republic

The state has temporarily suspended the license for Dr. William Munn after the Medical Board of California said the psychiatrist, in private practice since 1972 at his Travis Boulevard office, put public health at risk by excessively prescribing drugs to five patients.

Munn disputes any risk to public health and says his suspension is detrimental to his 250 patients, who can’t be absorbed by the limited number of psychiatrists in private practice in Solano County.

The Monday suspension follows a hearing in Oakland and the filing by the state Attorney General’s Office about Munn’s prescriptions for the five patients.

Munn referred to providing one patient “telephone psychotherapy,” said the state filing, which describes the therapy as consisting almost entirely of the psychiatrist refilling prescriptions for large quantities of hydrocodone, a semisynthetic narcotic analgesic, as well as amphetamines and alprazolam, often sold under the trade name Xanax.

Another patient was prescribed large doses of alprazolam even though the doctor saw the person only once and continued to prescribe the drug for almost two years, according to the state.

Treatment of the five patients includes numerous extreme departures from the standard of care, added the state, which sought the license suspension until the Medical Board can ensure Mann safely practices psychiatry.

A Queensbury psychiatrist had his medical license suspended for 6 months for allegations of “gross incompetence” and “moral unfitness.”

As seen in the Post Star oif Warren County in Australia

A Queensbury psychiatrist had his medical license suspended for 6 months last week after the state Department of Health brought a disciplinary case against him for allegations of “gross incompetence” and “moral unfitness.”

Dr. Koock E. Jung, who operates Psychotherapy Center on Bay Road in Queensbury, will also spend 3 years on probation after the suspension is lifted, according to the Department of Health. The suspension takes effect June 29.

The Department of Health website showed Jung admitted he “could not successfully defend against” at least one of a group of charges that included allegations he committed “gross negligence gross incompetence negligence on more than one occasion incompetence; on more than one occasion harassing, abusing or intimidating a patient physically or verbally; engaging in moral unfitness; failing to maintain accurate patient records; and revealing personally identifiable facts, data or information without the prior consent of the patient.”

Among the allegations was inappropriate physical contact with female patients and prescription of medications that were beyond his licensing ability, according to one woman who made a complaint against Jung. Jung denied the accusations Tuesday and said he did not admit any wrongdoing related to sexual contact. He said any physical contact he had with patients was for legitimate medical or examination purposes. He blamed the case on a group of disgruntled former employees, one of whom he had remove her shirt so he could examine her for pneumonia. He said some of them told “lies” because they were angry about a “pay scale” dispute.

Other patients wrongly interpreted examinations he did to check their hearts for problems related to medication they were prescribed, he said. “Some of these women sexualize anything,” he said.

The prescription charge related to prescribing Xanax to a person with “serious anxiety,” Jung said.

He said he suffers from Lyme disease that has limited the use of his hands, so he may decide to retire instead of getting his medical license reinstated. Jung accepted the state’s disciplinary action instead of facing an evidentiary hearing that could have led to him losing his medical license. The hearing was scheduled for last week, and the notice of discipline was posted Monday.

A Queensbury woman was among the dozen or so women, many of them victims of sexual abuse, who sought help from Jung. She said they were prepared to testify at the disciplinary hearing last week. She spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the nature of the allegations. She said Jung engaged in “inappropriate touching” and inappropriate conversations with her and others with whom she discussed the case.

Texas Medical Board temporarily suspends license of Dallas Psychiatrist

Via the Dallas Morning News

The Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended the license of a Dallas physician on Tuesday after determining her continued practice could pose a threat to public welfare.

The board panel received an emergency referral on May 6 from the Texas Physician Health Program based on a self report from Dr. Abbie Ewell. Ewell's self-report claimed she was unsafe to practice because of "a recent relapse of a mental or physical condition," the board said.

Ewell's suspension will last until the board takes further action, the board said.

She graduated in 2008 from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and was an assistant professor in the school's psychiatry department.