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Tasked with protecting the public from negligent health professionals, the Tennessee Department of Health releases a monthly media report on all disciplinary actions taken by health-related boards. Now that the Department has released the November 2019 report, patients can see whether their care providers and practitioners have been subject to specific disciplinary actions.
From athletic trainers to medical examiners to pharmacists, all professionals in health-related fields have a responsibility to uphold the standard of care and keep their licenses up-to-date. When your health provider or practitioner fails to meet this standard and injures you, they may face greater consequences than a disciplinary action: They may also be civilly liable to cover the costs of your injuries.
Here are a few of the notable offenders from the recent November 2019 report:
- Matthew Sunshine, Massage Therapist (LMT): Guilty of unprofessional and sexual conduct with clients. Received 3 years of probation and a $1,000 civil penalty.
- Mark Ernest, Doctor (MD): Pre-signed blank prescriptions for patients while working at an opiate treatment facility. Subjected to an $18,400 civil penalty.
- Michael D. Hellman Sr., Doctor (MD): Pled guilty to criminal distribution of a Schedule II substance. License was permanently revoked.
- Michelle Lynn Vasireddy, Physician’s Assistant (PA): Forged prescriptions for controlled substances for personal use. License suspended pending further evaluation and placed on probation for 5 years.
- Patsy Janet Burks, Nurse (APRN/RN): Found guilty of numerous offenses, including unprofessional conduct, delegating nursing care functions to unqualified individuals, over-prescribing medications, and ignoring patient safety. Licenses and certificates revoked and subjected to $5,000 in civil penalties.
- Tiundra L. Love, Osteopath (DO): Found guilty of prescribing controlled substances outside of the doctor-patient relationship and failing to keep accurate records. Probation for 3 years and a civil penalty of $5,200.
- Omnicare of Memphis, Pharmacy: Inspection revealed contaminated products and unsanitary conditions at this pharmacy. Subjected to a civil penalty of $4,600.
To see if your provider was subject to health disciplinary actions in November, visit the Tennessee Department of Health website.
Holding Healthcare Professionals Accountable for Injuries
From over-prescribing dangerous opioids to ignoring patient safety, many of the healthcare professionals cited on the Tennessee Department of Public Health report may have caused their patients to sustain serious injuries.
For the last 40 years, our team at Kinnard Law has been dedicated to helping medical malpractice victims seek justice. AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and selected to U.S. News “Best Law Firms,” our Board-Certified Medical Malpractice Specialists can help you fight for financial recovery after a healthcare provider was negligent.
Call (615) 933-2893 to contact us anytime 24/7.