Medical disciplinary actions

The Medical Board of California licenses physicians and other medical professionals. It also investigates medical complaints and issues disciplinary actions. The most serious penalties include license revocation, suspension and probation.

These are the physicians and surgeons in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties who were subject to serious disciplinary actions between May 1 and July 31, according to medical board documents. Generally, final actions are published only after all appeals are exhausted.

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Dr. Herminio Samonte Academia Jr., Moreno Valley: Failed to properly supervise a physician assistant and rendered care under a fictitious name without first obtaining a fictitious name permit. Disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective June 5.

Dr. Phillip Bailey Amidon, Loma Linda: Convicted twice for driving under the influence in Maine. Denial of license stayed, license granted with five years’ probation attached. Effective June 19.

Dr. Craig James Ball, Palm Desert: Committed acts of repeated negligence by failing to discuss with the anesthesiologist the potential flammability of an ET tube, associated equipment, and the oxygen mixture used by an anesthesiologist during a laryngeal laser surgery, with the failure to change such equipment resulting in harm to a patient. Revocation of license stayed, seven years’ probation. Effective June 2.

Dr. David R. Callister, Glendale: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligence, and incompetence in the care and treatment of one patient. No admissions; license restricted effective July 31 until Dec. 31, 2003; then license placed on inactive status.

Dr. Robert Steven Charlap, Studio City: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence, failure to maintain adequate and accurate medical records, dishonesty or corruption, and providing false statements in documents during the performance or interpretation of nerve conduction studies or somatosensory evoked potentials (neuro diagnostics) in the care and treatment of seven patients. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective June 12.

Dr. Paul Harold Crane, Beverly Hills: Failed to maintain adequate and accurate medical records of his care and treatment of four obstetrical patients during the delivery of their infants. Disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective June 2.

Dr. Antonio Edles, Long Beach: Charged with repeated negligence, excessive prescribing or treatment, unprofessional conduct, and failure to maintain adequate and accurate medical records in the care and treatment of three patients. Revocation of license stayed, four years’ probation. Effective June 2.

Dr. Morton H. Field, Beverly Hills: Failed to report treatment of alleged accidental gunshot wound or injury pursuant to Penal Code 11160. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective May 12.

Dr. Alexander V. Griswold, Brea: Unable to practice medicine safely due to physical illness affecting competency. License revoked. Effective July 23.

Dr. Michael Borchard Huff, Oxnard: Excessively prescribed OxyContin, Norco and methadone to five patients; prescribed Vicodin to a patient without a good-faith examination; and failed to store Dilaudid in a secure area. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for nine months, seven years’ probation. Effective July 7.

Dr. Thomas Robert Kappeler, Los Angeles: Convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and convicted on two occasions of driving while having a blood-alcohol level of 0.08% or higher. Thirty days’ suspension of license stayed, four years’ probation. Effective June 13.

Dr. Sana Ullah Khan, Anaheim Hills: Charged with dishonesty and excessive treatment, failure to maintain adequate and accurate medical records, creating false and fraudulent medical records, insurance fraud, practicing under a fictitious name without a permit, and unprofessional conduct in the care and treatment of two patients. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective July 18.

Dr. Kenneth K. Koch, Camarillo: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligence and incompetence in the care and treatment of two patients by failing to respond to the emergency room after being informed of one patient’s bone fracture and failing to personally evaluate and treat the patient’s injury; and performing an inadequate surgical procedure in the care and treatment of a second patient. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective June 30.

Dr. Samuel James Loh, Montebello: Committed gross negligence and incompetence in the provision of anesthesia during the course of a laser laryngeal surgery on a patient. Revocation of license stayed, six years’ probation. Effective May 22.

Dr. Jose Velasco Lopez Jr., Los Angeles: Disciplined by Iowa Medical Board based on charges that, as an anesthesiologist, he fell asleep during two surgical procedures, and then falsified operative notes for those procedures. Revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective June 13.

Dr. Matthew B. Luxenberg, Los Alamitos: Failed to maintain complete and accurate medical records and improperly used certain diagnosis and procedure codes in connection with the care and treatment of several patients with severe cystic acne. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective July 18.

Dr. Rey Martinez, Burbank: Charged with committing acts of dishonesty or corruption, providing false statements in documents, failing to maintain adequate and accurate medical records, practicing under a false name, committing conspiracy with an unlicensed individual, insurance fraud, excessive treatment or prescribing, incompetence and violating the fictitious name permit requirements. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective June 16.

Dr. Zoe Allen Martinez, Los Angeles: Failed to disclose a misdemeanor conviction for petty theft on her application for licensure with the Medical Board of California. License issued with three years’ probation attached. Effective July 28.

Dr. Manvel Michael Mazmanyan, Glendale: Failed to disclose his convictions for burglary and petty theft on his application for licensure with the Medical Board of California. License issued; then revocation of license stayed, seven years’ probation. Effective May 13.

Dr. Peter Frederick Morrison, Los Angeles: Failed to disclose a misdemeanor conviction for driving while intoxicated on his application for licensure with the Medical Board of California. License issued with three years’ probation attached. Effective July 28.

Dr. John Prosser, Long Beach: Failed to maintain adequate and accurate medical records in the care and treatment of one patient. Disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective May 1.

Dr. Alan Nathan Hirs Rademan, Beverly Hills: Failed to maintain adequate and accurate medical records in the care and treatment of three patients. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for fourteen days, five years’ probation. Effective June 23.

Dr. Robert Edward Reichmann III, Los Angeles: Applicant for licensure with the Medical Board of California has a history of alcohol abuse. License issued with five years’ probation attached. Effective July 8.

Dr. Fereydoun Sahafi, Mission Viejo: Performed surgeries or allowed surgeries to be performed at an unaccredited outpatient facility even though the surgeries required the administration of general anesthesia. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective June 10.

Dr. Mukesh H. Shah, Santa Ana: Disciplined by Virginia Medical Board for violating the terms of its board-ordered probation. Revocation of license stayed, probation to continue until Oct. 2, 2008. Effective July 7.

Dr. Howard M. Siegel, Huntington Beach: Engaged in unprofessional conduct in the care and treatment of several patients by creating false medical records with fraudulent intent, committing insurance fraud, failing to maintain adequate and accurate records, and committing acts of gross negligence and repeated negligence by repeatedly and regularly, simultaneously performing anesthesia on patients in two or more surgery rooms. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for one year, 10 years’ probation. Effective June 16.

Dr. Homan Siman, Los Angeles: Convicted on three occasions for reckless driving involving the use of alcohol. Granting of license stayed, license issued with five years’ probation attached. Effective May 7.

Dr. Robert Thomas Steller, Los Angeles: Failed to comply with the terms of his board-ordered probation by failing to successfully complete the diversion program, pass a Special Purpose Examination testing his general competence as a physician, report a change of address, submit a quarterly report, and pay probation monitoring costs. License revoked. Effective May 9.

Dr. Nnaemeka Udoh, Los Angeles: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligence, and incompetence in the care and treatment of a patient for failing to perform a diverting colostomy at the time of initial intervention, failing to recognize signs and symptoms of infection, and failing to initialize and use appropriate antibiotics. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective July 18.

Dr. Violeta B. Vicencio, Bellflower: Failed to comply with the terms of her board-ordered probation. Revocation of license stayed, two years’ probation added to original three-year probationary term. Effective July 28.

Dr. Chwi-Young Yang, Anaheim Hills: Committed acts of destroying, altering or modifying chart entries in a patient’s medical record after receiving notification of the patient’s intent to file a malpractice claim against her for care and treatment of the patient. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 30 days, four years’ probation. Effective July 16.

Dr. Ardeshir Yermian, Los Angeles: Convicted of a felony for directly and indirectly, with the assistance of others, paying for the referral and transportation of Medi-Cal patients to his medical office, furnishing services, merchandise and other gratuitous considerations to patients, and creating false medical records to justify additional billings. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 30 days, five years’ probation. Effective May 22.

Dr. Ramin Zolfagari, Orange: Failed to disclose two misdemeanor convictions for theft, underage consumption and/or possession of alcohol on his application for licensure with the Medical Board of California. License issued with three years’ probation attached. Effective July 21.

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* A lesser form of discipline that can be negotiated for minor violations before or after the filing of formal charges (accusations). The licensee is chastised in the form of a letter that becomes a part of his or her public record.

** A public reprimand, another lesser form of discipline, is similar to a public letter of reprimand except that it must be the result of charges that are filed. The reprimand becomes a part of his or her public record.

Note: Copies of the public record documents attendant to these cases are available by calling the medical board’s central file room (916) 263-2525.

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Source: Medical Board of California, Sacramento.

Los Angeles Times