(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Board discloses allegations against Iowa doctor in disciplinary case [1]
['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- July']
Date: 2023-07
An Iowa physician continued to violate infection-control protocols this year even after being sanctioned for the offense last year, according to state regulators.
Dr. Ravindrakumar Gangadhariah, who practices dermatology and internal medicine in Davenport, was charged last year with practicing in a manner that is harmful to the public, and with improper medical-record management. The charges were tied to allegations that he ignored certain infection-control protocols intended to protect patients.
The case was resolved with a settlement agreement that involved a $1,00 civil penalty and a warning. Gangadhariah also agreed to additional training in infection control and recordkeeping.
In March, the board issued an emergency order indefinitely suspending Gangadhariah’s license and charging him with failure to comply with a board order, professional incompetency and practicing in a manner that was harmful to the public.
The conduct that led to those charges being filed was made public last week by the board. According to the board, after the December 2022 settlement, it had received additional complaints regarding Gangadhariah’s continued failure to adhere to infection control protocols and a failure to use sterile equipment in caring for patients.
A board investigator performed an on-site visit to Gangadhariah’s office in late February and spoke to witnesses who alleged that in addition to using unsterilized equipment, Gangadhariah was improperly using medical gloves during patient procedures, and improperly administering Lidocaine by reusing the same syringes on multiple patients.
As part of another settlement with the board, Gangadhariah recently agreed to have his license placed on probation for five years, during which time he must submit to workplace monitoring, undergo a neuropsychiatric evaluation and undergo additional training in infection control.
Other board action
In a separate matter, the board said its “short and plain statement of matters asserted” in the disciplinary case of Dr. Samuel Rickerl stands as the only public description of the conduct that led to charges of professional incompetency.
Rickerl, who once practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Clinton and now practices in Illinois, was charged with incompetency in September 2021. Board records indicate Rickerl underwent a clinical competency evaluation at some unspecified point in time, and then underwent additional training to address “areas of education need” that were identified in that evaluation.
The board alleged Rickerl did not provide adequate coverage for his patients when he was unavailable, that patients and staff had difficulty communicating with him, and that Rickerl performed some type of procedures that were not approved by the unspecified hospitals where he practiced. Rickerl denied the allegations.
To resolve the case, the board agreed to amend the charges to unprofessional conduct and settled the matter with a warning and a $2,500 civil penalty.
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