New York State Education Department
Office of the
Professions
Summaries of Regents Actions on Professional
Misconduct and Discipline
October 9, 2003
Terms under which this information
is provided.
Chiropractic - Dentistry - Massage Therapy - Nursing - Pharmacy - Podiatry - Psychology
Chiropractic
Michael John DiMaio,
Westbury, NY
Profession: Chiropractor; Lic. No. 005596; Cal.
No. 20541
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: Suspension for not less than 6 months and
until terminated as set forth in consent order application - upon
termination of suspension, probation 2 years.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
failing to disclose a criminal conviction on his application for
licensure and first registration.
Dentistry
Judd L. Lesser, Lawrence,
NY
Profession: Dentist; Lic. No. 043688; Cal. No.
20432
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 2 years, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charges of
having been convicted of Attempted Petit Larceny, a class B
misdemeanor, and failing to properly construct two bridges for
two patients, improperly placing a porcelain inlay, failing to
take pre-operative x-rays, and failing to complete an adequate
root canal.
Edmond Campbell McLane,
Morrisonville, NY
Profession: Dentist; Dental Anesthesia; Lic. No.
021969; Dental Anesthesia Cert. No. 000255; Cal. Nos. 20759,
21168
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application to surrender license and
certificate granted.
Summary: Licensee/Certificate Holder admitted to
the charge of failing to maintain accurate patient records.
John Liagzhang Shi, New York,
NY
Profession: Dentist; Lic. No. 048485; Cal. No.
20806
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 1 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 1 year, $1,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
failing to take x-rays sufficient in number and quality to
support the dental diagnosis made, failing to take x-rays
adequate for a proper evaluation of the teeth involved prior to
commencing treatment of those teeth, and prescribing dental
treatment not warranted by the patient's condition.
Jarrett Turk, Plainview, NY
Profession: Dentist; Lic. No. 042378; Cal. No.
20281
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 24 month suspension, execution of last 21
months of suspension stayed, probation 2 years, 100 hours of
public service.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
practicing the profession of dentistry while his ability to
practice was impaired by mental disability between 1999 and
2001.
Massage Therapy
Joseph Burden, New York,
NY
Profession: Massage Therapist; Lic. No. 011106;
Cal. No. 21109
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application to surrender license
granted.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of
engaging in conduct in the practice of the profession of massage
therapy evidencing moral unfitness to practice.
Nursing
Yasmine Chery, Baldwin,
NY
Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No.
240955; Cal. No. 20039
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 24 month suspension, execution of last 21
months of suspension stayed, probation 2 years.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of
falsely indicating on her application for licensure as a
registered professional nurse in the State of New York that she
had received a basic nursing education at Simone O. Duvalier,
Port au-Prince, Haiti.
Gina Maria Coghlan,
Liverpool, NY
Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No.
175856; Cal. No. 20894
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: Suspension for not less than 6 months and
until terminated as set forth in consent order application - upon
termination of suspension, probation 2 years to commence if and
when licensee returns to practice.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
having been convicted of Scheme to Defraud in the 2nd Degree,
Falsifying Business Records in the 2nd Degree and Criminal
Mischief in the 3rd Degree.
Anthony Horatio Headlam,
Brooklyn, NY
Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No.
249797; Cal. No. 20854
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 24 month suspension, execution of last 22
months of suspension stayed, probation 2 years to commence if and
when licensee returns to practice.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
directing a nurse's aide to apply a hot towel to a
resident's leg when there was no physician's order,
failing to report resident's burn and failing to record
resident's condition in the medical record.
Rhonda Lee Henry,
Montgomery, NY
Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered
Professional Nurse; Lic. Nos. 183360, 437390; Cal. Nos. 20943,
20944
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: Suspension for no less than 1 year and until
terminated as set forth in consent order application - upon
termination of suspension, probation 2 years to commence upon
licensee's return to practice.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
having been convicted of Falsifying Business Records in the 2nd
Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the
7th Degree, a class A misdemeanor.
Lois Anne McGee, Burnt
Hills, NY
Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse, Registered
Professional Nurse; Lic. Nos. 226928, 484218; Cal. Nos. 20888,
20889
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003 (see also
March 2002)
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 2 years, $750 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of
committing medication administration and documentation errors and
violating a term of probation imposed by the Board of
Regents.
Joseph Meus, Hudson, NY
Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic.
No. 520949; Cal. No. 20734
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 2 years, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
having been convicted of Assault in the 2nd Degree, a class D
felony.
Rita Ann Millard, Endicott,
NY
Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic.
No. 469672; Cal. No. 20848
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of last 20
months of suspension stayed, probation 2 years.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
having been convicted of Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree, a class
E felony.
Deborah Lee Monteleone,
Liverpool, NY
Profession: Registered Professional Nurse; Lic.
No. 320695; Cal. No. 20847
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of last 20
months of suspension stayed, probation 2 years, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
having been convicted of one count of Fraudulent Practices.
Jean Avril Thompson,
Freeport, NY
Profession: Licensed Practical Nurse; Lic. No.
226507; Cal. No. 20463
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 1 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 1 year, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of
patient abandonment resulting from leaving in the middle of a
shift without making adequate coverage arrangements.
Pharmacy
Sharmila Jagi Chhugani, Rego
Park, NY
Profession: Pharmacist; Lic. No. 041661; Cal.
No. 19883
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Found guilty of professional misconduct;
Penalty: $250 fine.
Summary: Licensee was found guilty of holding
outdated drugs for sale.
Daniel P. Christensen, Troy,
NY
Profession: Pharmacist; Lic. No. 029458; Cal.
No. 21007
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 1 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 1 year, $500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of
gross negligence as a result of a dispensing error. Roxanol
20mg./ml. instead of Morphine Sulfate 5mg./ml. was dispensed.
Dana R. Gignac, Rochester,
NY
Profession: Pharmacist; Lic. No. 039902; Cal.
No. 20885
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003 (see also May 2007)
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 2 years, $6,000 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of
committing violations of pharmacy laws as a result of failing to
offer complete counseling for home delivery including dosage
information and rules and failing to provide documentation of
continuing education.
Dana Rene Gignac d/b/a Saratoga
Pharmacy, 192 Lyell Avenue, Rochester, NY 14608
Profession: Pharmacist; Reg. No. 021387; Cal.
No. 20886
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 2 years, $1,000 fine.
Summary: Respondent did not contest the charge
of violating pharmacy laws and rules.
JC Drug, Inc. d/b/a Queens
Pharmacy, 97-30 64th Road, Rego Park, NY 11374
Profession: Pharmacy; Reg. No. 022289; Cal. No.
19882
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Found guilty of professional misconduct;
Penalty: $250 fine.
Summary: Respondent was found guilty of holding
outdated drugs for sale.
Patrick Okoye, Montgomery,
AL
Profession: Pharmacist; Lic. No. 047214; Cal.
No. 21134
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application to surrender license
granted.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
having been convicted of conspiracy to engage in the Wholesale
Distribution in Interstate Commerce of Prescription Drugs Without
a License and Wire Fraud.
139 Pharmacy, Inc., 3415
Broadway, New York, NY 10031
Profession: Pharmacy; Reg. No. 015978; Cal. No.
20830
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: $5,000 fine, probation 2 years.
Summary: Respondent admitted to the charge of
dispensing prescription-required medications without
prescriptions.
Craig Arthur Ritchko, Otego,
NY
Profession: Pharmacist; Lic. No. 028119; Cal.
No. 18517
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003 (see also
February 1998)
Action: Found guilty of professional misconduct;
Penalty: 2 year suspension, execution of last 18 months of
suspension stayed, probation 3 years.
Summary: Licensee was found guilty of:
dispensing a prescription without the imprinted prescriber name
for an institutional prescriber; dispensing a prescription for a
controlled substance after the 30-day validity period had
expired; dispensing a prescription on a date certain which
contained a later date certain; dispensing a prescription more
than 30 days after the date the prescription was written;
dispensing prescriptions that lacked the address of the ultimate
user; dispensing prescriptions for controlled substances where no
dosages or strength were prescribed; dispensing prescriptions
that did not contain the prescriber DEA number; failing to retain
records for the last five years for his pharmacy, including
purchases, drugs sold, DEA inventories, daily logs, patient
profiles and logs documenting the refusal to accept counseling;
and violating terms of probation based on the fact certain of
these acts occurred during a period of time he was on probation
for previous professional misconduct.
Vinay Walter, Manhasset
Hills, NY
Profession: Pharmacist; Lic. No. 046640; Cal.
No. 20829
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of last 21
months of suspension stayed, probation 2 years, $5,000 fine.
Summary: While on duty as the supervising
pharmacist, licensee admitted to the charge of failing to
properly supervise a registered pharmacy, therefore, allowing an
unlicensed pharmacy employee to dispense prescription-required
medications without prescriptions.
Podiatry
Daniel W. Merk, Orchard Park,
NY
Profession: Podiatry; Lic. No. 002755; Cal. No.
20890
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003 (see also July 2007)
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 2 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 2 years, $1,000 fine.
Summary: Licensee admitted to the charge of
having been convicted of Driving While Intoxicated, an
unclassified misdemeanor, and a second charge of Driving While
Intoxicated, a class E felony.
Psychology
Donald Laurence Schuman, New
York, NY
Profession: Psychologist; Lic. No. 003756; Cal.
No. 20911
Regents Action Date: October 9, 2003
Action: Application for consent order granted;
Penalty agreed upon: 1 year suspension, execution of suspension
stayed, probation 1 year, $2,500 fine.
Summary: Licensee did not contest the charge of
failing to maintain an accurate record of the evaluation and
treatment of a patient.
For further
information: dplsdsu@mail.nysed.gov
Last Update: January 18, 2008
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