Summaries of Regents Actions
On Professional Misconduct and Discipline*
October 2003
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 (see also October 2009)
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.
* Terms under which this information is provided.
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