Physician’s license revoked

The Medical Board of California revoked Glendale physician Sonia Yacobian’s license to practice medicine for failing to show remorse for helping another doctor commit fraud.

After pleading guilty to helping Katrin Saroukhanian evade conviction for defrauding a health-care benefit program, Yacobian served a six-month prison sentence and was scheduled to remain on probation until July 2011.

State records indicate that Yacobian primarily practiced internal medicine and geriatrics, but that she runs a chiropractic office in Glendale.

Saroukhanian, a Santa Monica-based Westside Boutique Pharmacy owner and operator, illegally dispensed the drug Serostim to a patient, according to medical board records.

When the patient’s insurance company placed her under investigation, Yacobian was named as the prescribing physician and confirmed her role with investigators.

Yacobian continued her involvement by falsifying documents that indicated she had treated the patient six times, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court documents.

She claimed she was “forced” to help because Saroukhanian’s granddaughter was one of her patients.

Yacobian also alleged her attorney forced her to accept the plea agreement and the license discipline, but offered no evidence to the medical board.

Attempts to reach Yacobian and her attorney, Paul D. Cass, were unsuccessful.

Upon further review of Yacobian’s case, the state medical board determined Yacobian “refused to accept personal responsibility for her dishonest conduct, nor did she express any remorse.”

Court documents also show that she failed to show evidence of good conduct during her probationary period.

Medical board spokeswoman Jennifer Simoes said that lack of remorse is considered in all cases, but could not verify how often it is used to revoke medical licenses.

Yacobian’s appeal of the medical board’s decision was denied, and she was no longer allowed to practice as of Nov. 22.