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 Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura County physicians who were subject to serious disciplinary actions, in one case effective last June; all others took effect between Aug. 1 and Nov. 30, 2002, according to Medical Board documents. Generally, final actions are published only after all appeals are exhausted.

Dr. James Melvin Adams, Los Angeles: Convicted for possession of alcohol, possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia and retail theft; convicted later for careless and reckless driving. License issued with five years’ probation attached. Effective Aug. 6.

Dr. Fred E. Aengst, Santa Ana: Committed repeated negligent acts in the care and treatment of a patient by diagnosing a saddle nose deformity where none existed; failing to seek appropriate consultation with another physician after performing the same surgical procedure on the patient six times; creating an ear deformity that required additional surgery; repeated injections of cortisone into a place of compromised blood flow; and failing to apply well-documented biological concepts of wound healing. Revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective Aug. 12.

Dr. Eugene William Albright Jr., Riverside: Committed gross negligence for his failure to supervise his physician assistant. Revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective Oct. 7.

Dr. Abasali Koorosh Amir-Jahed, Beverly Hills: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence, insurance fraud, false statements in documents, alteration of medical records, employing runners, cappers or steerers (recruiting patients by offering a person a fee or discount to reduce their own medical bills in return for every person referred), and dishonesty or corruption for performing cosmetic surgeries on patients but billing them as medically necessary procedures, and for failing to adequately document the surgeries. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, 10 years’ probation. Effective Sept. 9.

Dr. Alberto Aranibar-Zerpa, Beverly Hills: Committed acts of gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, excessive prescribing and treatment in the diagnoses, care and treatment of five children with seizures when he prescribed anticonvulsants without medical justification. Revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective Oct. 11.

Dr. William E. Baumzweiger-Bauer, Tarzana: Unable to practice medicine safely due to mental illness or physical illness affecting competency. Suspended indefinitely from practicing medicine until the board’s Division of Medical Quality receives competent evidence of the absence or control of mental or physical illness affecting competency. Effective Sept. 6.

Dr. Marvin Berkowitz, Beverly Hills: Committed acts of gross negligence for failing to monitor the blood pressure of an elderly patient in a convalescent hospital and not noting the diagnostic test results for a second patient in a timely manner. Revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective Sept. 12.

Dr. Charles M. Bosley, Los Angeles: Committed acts of gross negligence for failing to maintain adequate and accurate medical records in the care and treatment of one patient from 1991 through 1998. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand.* Effective Aug. 12.

Dr. Manolito Sosa Buendia, Valencia: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence, and excessive diagnostic testing in the care and treatment of two patients. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 45 days, seven years’ probation. Effective Oct. 31.

Dr. John Chih Chiu, Newbury Park: Unlawful referral of patients to other medical facilities in which physician had financial interest without disclosure. Disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective Aug. 16.

Dr. Agnes Lee Choa, Alhambra: Failed to report a felony conviction of mail fraud and aiding and abetting mail fraud to the Medical Board, engaged in general unprofessional conduct, conspired to violate the Medical Practice Act, committed acts of dishonesty or corruption, committed insurance fraud, created false medical records and failed to maintain accurate medical records. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 60 days, seven years’ probation. Effective Nov. 21.

Dr. Michael Joseph Cortez, Alhambra: Committed gross negligence and repeated negligent acts in the care and treatment of one patient. Revocation of license stayed, extra probation to be served concurrently with current probation period with additional terms and conditions. Effective Oct. 21.

Dr. Salmon Paul Daniels, Los Angeles: Charged with repeated negligent acts, excessive diagnostic testing and failure to maintain adequate and accurate medical records in the care and treatment of four patients. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, 35 months’ probation. Effective Aug. 19.

Dr. Vincent Cataldo Didio, Thousand Oaks: Committed acts of gross negligence and repeated negligent acts for failure to refer a patient for mammography and failure to maintain adequate medical records for that patient. Revocation of license stayed, two years’ probation. Effective Oct. 18.

Dr. Robert E. Dreibelbis, Tustin: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence, excessive prescribing or treatment, violation of drug statutes, and failure to maintain adequate records in the care and treatment of a patient. No admissions; disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective Oct. 10.

Dr. Peter Alan Fields, Los Angeles: Denied a residency training permit in Pennsylvania for failure to disclose unsuccessful training experiences. Denial of license stayed, license issued with two years’ probation attached. Effective Sept. 18.

Dr. Manuel Ignacio Figueroa, Los Angeles: Charged with gross negligence, prescribing to an addict, failure to maintain adequate records, excessive prescribing and incompetence in the care and treatment of one patient. No admissions; disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective Nov. 21.

Dr. Larrian Marie Gillespie, Beverly Hills: Committed acts of negligence and repeated negligent acts in the care and treatment of 10 patients for cystitis. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended until specific conditions of probation are met, seven years’ probation. Effective Nov. 11.

Dr. Brian David Goldfine, Palm Desert: Failed to comply with terms and conditions of Medical Board-ordered probation. License revoked. Effective Sept. 26.

Dr. Raymond Edward Grier, Moreno Valley: Failed to pass an oral competency examination pursuant to an order issued by the Medical Board. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 60 days, seven years’ probation. Physician must pass an oral clinical exam and successfully complete a training program prior to resuming practice. Effective Sept. 12.

Dr. James Sandor Hurvitz, Los Angeles: Failed to keep adequate medical records in the care and treatment of two patients. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 15 days, five years’ probation. Effective Oct. 17.

Dr. Kenneth Geun Jahng, Moreno Valley: Committed repeated negligent acts in the prenatal care and treatment of one patient. Thirty days’ suspension of license stayed; one year’s probation. Effective Nov. 1.

Dr. Joseph Kendall Kim, Long Beach: Failed to disclose a misdemeanor conviction for petty theft on an application for licensure with the Medical Board of California. License issued with three years’ probation attached. Effective Sept. 5.

Dr. David Larkin, Los Alamitos: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, dishonesty, excessive treatment or prescribing, incompetence, and failure to maintain adequate and accurate medical records in the care and treatment of eight patients. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 90 days, 10 years’ probation. Effective Oct. 4.

Dr. Felix Ramiro Lauron, Apple Valley: Unable to practice safely due to physical illness affecting competency. Suspended indefinitely from practicing medicine until the Division of Medical Quality receives competent evidence of the absence of his physical disabilities and any other condition that impairs his ability to practice safely. Effective Nov. 15.

Dr. Richard Lee, Whittier: Inappropriately prescribed medicine over the Internet without first conducting a good faith examination and documenting a medical indication. Revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective Sept. 25.

Dr. Fred L. Lieberman, Los Angeles: Committed acts of gross negligence, repeated negligence, excessive prescribing, and incompetence in the care and treatment of five patients. License revoked. Effective June 13.

Dr. Crescenzo Pisano, San Pedro: Charged with gross negligence, incompetence and repeated negligent acts in the care and treatment of one patient. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective Aug. 30.

Dr. Luis Eduardo Rivera, Santa Ana: Committed acts of gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, and incompetence in the care and treatment of a patient who received a colectomy. Revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective Sept. 27.

Dr. Douglas Jay Schave, Los Angeles: Charged with negligence and repeated negligent acts in the supervision of a psychological assistant. No admissions; disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective Nov. 4.

Dr. D’mitri Starks, Montclair: Committed acts of gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence and unprofessional conduct in the care and treatment of five obstetrical patients for failing to respond to calls from the hospital during five deliveries. Disciplined via public reprimand.** Effective Nov. 26.

Dr. L. Scott Stoney, Newport Beach: Charged with gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence, excessive prescribing of controlled substances, dishonesty, creating false documents and medical records and failure to maintain adequate and accurate records in the care and treatment of multiple patients. No admissions; revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 30 days, 10 years’ probation. Effective Nov. 18.

Dr. Fredesminda L. Yabut-Baluyut, Fountain Valley: Committed acts of unprofessional conduct, dishonesty, corruption, violation of drug statutes, and repeated acts of clearly excessive prescribing of dangerous drugs and controlled substances without a good faith prior examination or medical indication. Convicted of nine felonies for conspiracy to possess and distribute pseudoephedrine without a legitimate purpose. License revoked. Effective Sept. 6.

* 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 at minimal cost by calling the Medical Board’s Central File Room at (916) 263-2525.

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Source: Medical Board of California, Sacramento.