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 from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties subject to serious disciplinary actions from Nov. 1, 2001, to Jan. 31, 2002, according to Medical Board documents. Generally, final actions are published only after all appeals are exhausted.

Dr. Eriberto C. Ang Jr., Chino Hills: Convicted of failing to disclose information affecting an insurance claim. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 60 days beginning Jan. 1, 2002, five years’ probation. Effective Nov. 12, 2001.

Dr. Dawn Atwal, Tustin: Charged with gross negligence and repeated negligent acts in the care and treatment of a patient, failed to do a good-faith examination, prescribed drugs for self-use by writing or calling in fraudulent prescriptions, and made threatening phone calls to a former patient. Revocation of license stayed, seven years’ probation. Effective Dec. 5, 2001.

Dr. Madhavan Balachandran, Orange: Charged with gross negligence, incompetence and repeated negligent acts in the interpretation and reporting of results of neurodiagnostic, noninvasive tests of three patients. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective Jan. 7, 2002.

Dr. Marshall Leonard Berman, Los Angeles: Violated terms and conditions of Medical Board-ordered probation. Revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective Nov. 5, 2001.

Dr. Chandra Diane DeSilva, San Bernardino: Unprofessional conduct for failing to maintain adequate and accurate records. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective Jan. 21, 2002.

S.M. Golam Hossain, Tujunga: Convicted of welfare fraud. License granted, then revoked; revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective Nov. 28, 2001.

Dr. Kent Robert Johnson, Riverside: Suspended from practice until the Medical Board’s Division of Medical Quality determines that it has received competent evidence of the absence or control of his self-use and administration of controlled substances/dangerous drugs, including mental and physical illness that impairs his ability to practice medicine safely, and until the division is satisfied that his right to practice should be reinstated. Effective Jan. 17, 2002.

Dr. Khoi Manh Le, Costa Mesa: Failed to disclose conviction of a crime on his license application. License granted, then revoked; revocation of license stayed, two years’ probation. Effective Nov. 19, 2001.

Dr. John J. Magrann, Anaheim: Failed to maintain adequate records in the care and treatment of four patients. Revocation of license stayed, seven years’ probation. Effective Dec. 3, 2001.

Dr. Howard J. Marans, Fountain Valley: Failed to record and monitor the amount of narcotic drugs prescribed and repeated acts of clearly excessive prescribing narcotic drugs to a known drug addict. Revocation of license stayed, four years’ probation. Effective Jan. 3, 2002.

Dr. Ata O. Montazeri, Bell Gardens: Committed acts of repeated negligence and dishonesty related to billing for unnecessary medical procedures and for excessive treatment. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 60 days, seven years’ probation. Effective Jan. 4, 2002.

Dr. James Stephen Novick, Glendale: Violated terms and conditions of Medical Board-ordered probation. License revoked. Effective Nov. 14, 2001.

Dr. Stephen Earl Pituck, Santa Ana: Failed to make adequate notations in the medical chart of a patient. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective Jan. 30, 2002.

Dr. William Randy Power, Los Angeles: Charged with having sexual relations with and committing sexual misconduct with a patient, prescribed psychotropic medications to a patient without conducting a physical examination, failed to discuss the risks and side effects of the medications, failed to monitor the medications and obtain medical clearance from the patient’s medical doctor, failed to document the information in the medical records, and failed to manage the transference and counter transference issues that developed while treating a patient. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 180 days, seven years’ probation. Effective Jan. 22, 2002.

Dr. Michael Jay Rosenthal, Claremont: Committed acts of gross negligence, repeated negligence, incompetence, dishonesty, unprofessional conduct, failed to maintain adequate and accurate records, and violated terms and conditions of Medical Board-ordered probation. License revoked. Effective Nov. 27, 2001.

Dr. Roy Howard Simon, Torrance: Convicted of reckless driving with alcohol involved and convicted of lewd conduct in a public place. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 30 days, five years’ probation. Effective Jan. 4, 2002.

Dr. Brit Owen Smith, Lancaster: Failed to maintain complete medical records in the care and treatment of a patient, and failed to record and inventory purchase of a Schedule IV controlled substance. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective Jan. 16, 2002.

Dr. Hans E. Weber, Santa Monica: Unprofessional conduct for keeping medical records for a patient’s cardiac problems and family history abbreviated to the point that the records could not be relied upon to make diagnoses when the patient made repeated visits for chest pains, which were not treated aggressively enough before the patient suffered a myocardial infarction. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective Dec. 5, 2001.

Dr. William Isaac Young, Los Angeles: Repeated negligence in prescribing for a patient while failing to provide proper documentation, and renewing the prescription for years without evaluating the patient. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective Jan. 14, 2002.

Dr. Wassim Fouad Zaky, Huntington Park: Committed acts of negligence in the care and treatment of two patients. Disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective Jan. 18, 2002.

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

Note: Copies of public record documents are available at minimal cost by calling the Medical Board’s Central File Room at (916) 263-2525.

Source: Medical Board of California, Sacramento