Committee Report | June 2011

Report of

REGENTS COMMITTEE

ON PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

to

The Board of Regents

June 21, 2011

Your Professional Practice Committee held its scheduled meeting on June 21, 2011.  All Committee members were present, except Vice Chancellor Milton L. Cofield, and Regent Wade S. Norwood who were excused. 

ACTION ITEMS

Professional Discipline Cases

Your Committee recommends that the reports of the Regents Review Committees, including rulings, findings of fact, determinations as to guilt, and recommendations, by unanimous or majority vote, contained in those reports which have been distributed to you, be accepted in 7 cases.  In addition, your Committee recommends, upon the recommendation of the Committee on the Professions, that 43 consent order applications and 11 surrender applications be granted.  [PPC EXS (A) 1-3]

In the case of Steven Michael Veroxie, Physical Therapist Assistant, Calendar No. 24707, we recommend that wherever the phrase “physical therapy assistant” is used in the application for consent order in this matter, such phrase be deemed corrected and be deemed to read “physical therapist assistant”; wherever the word “licensed” is used in the application for consent order in this matter, such word be deemed corrected and be deemed to read “certified”; and wherever the word “license” is used in the application for consent order in this matter, such word be deemed corrected and be deemed to read “certificate.”

These recommendations are made following the review of 61 cases involving eleven licensed practical nurses, ten dentists, ten registered professional nurses, five licensed practical nurses who are also registered professional nurses, five pharmacists, four pharmacies, two dental hygienists, two professional engineers, one certified public accountant, one licensed master social worker, one massage therapist, one physical therapist assistant, one podiatrist, one speech-language pathologist, and one veterinary technician.

Restoration Cases

Your Committee recommends:

That, after he has presented proof to the Office of  Professional Medical Conduct, New York State Department of Health, that he has fulfilled the requirements of Education Law §6524 so as to continue to qualify for licensure and registration under that statute, the execution of the Order of Surrender of the license of Samir Boutros to practice as a physician in New York State be stayed; that he then be placed on probation for two years under the terms and conditions set forth in Exhibit A of the Report of the Committee on the Professions, and that, upon successful completion of the probationary period, his limited license shall be fully restored consistent with the provisions of Education Law §6524.  [PPC EXS (A) 4]

That the execution of the Order of Surrender of the license of Ronald Ivan Cohen to practice as a psychologist in New York State be stayed; that at such time as he actually returns to practice as a psychologist in New York State, he be placed on probation for a period of 5 years under the terms and conditions of probation annexed to the Report of the Committee on the Professions as Exhibit A; and that, upon successful completion of probation, his license be fully restored.  [PPC EXS (A) 5]

That the execution of the Order of Surrender of the license of Mathaiah Ramaiah to practice as a physician in New York State be stayed; that he be placed on probation for one year under the Terms of Probation attached to the Report of the Peer Committee as Exhibit A; that the period of probation shall be tolled during periods in which the applicant is not engaged in the active practice of medicine in New York State, that the applicant shall notify the Director of OPMC, in writing, if the applicant is not currently engaged in or intends to leave the active practice of medicine in New York State for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days or more, that the applicant shall then notify the Director again prior to any change in that status, and that the period of probation shall resume and any terms of probation which were not fulfilled shall be fulfilled, upon the applicant’s return to practice in New York State; and that, upon satisfactory completion of the probationary period, his license be fully restored.  [PPC EXS (A) 6]

That the application of Indran R. Ratnam for restoration of his license to practice as a physician in the State of New York be denied.  [PPC EXS (A) 7]

That the application of Rosaly Saba-Khalil for restoration of her license to practice as a physician in the State of New York be denied.  [PPC EXS (A) 8]

That the application of Azhar M. Tahir for restoration of his license to practice as a physician in the State of New York be granted.  [PPC EXS (A) 9]

That the application of Angela Tucker for restoration of her license to practice as a physician in the State of New York be denied.  [PPC EXS (A) 10]

Approvals

Amendment of Regents Rule and Commissioner’s Regulation Establishing the Advisory Committee for Long-Term Clinical Clerkships – Your Committee recommends that paragraph (5) of subdivision (d) of section 3.2 of the Rules of the Board of Regents and that section 60.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective June 28, 2011, as an emergency action upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the public health and general welfare to establish an Advisory Committee to review and establish standards and procedures for the approval of applications for the placement of students from dual-campus international medical schools into long-term clinical clerkships in New York State and to ensure that the proposed amendment remains continuously in effect until it can be adopted as a permanent rule.  [PPC (A) 1]

Amendment of Commissioner’s Regulations Concerning Continuing Education in Engineering and Land Surveying – Your Committee recommends that subparagraph (i) of paragraph (1) and clause (b) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of section 68.11 and subparagraph (i) of paragraph (1) and clause (b) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of section 68.12 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective July 15, 2011. [PPC (A) 2]

Amendment of Commissioner’s Regulations Concerning Continuing Education in Public Accountancy – Your Committee recommends that section 70.9 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, effective July 15, 2011.  [PPC (A) 3]

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

Madam Chancellor and Colleagues:  Your Professional Practice Committee recommends, and we move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee's deliberations at its meeting on June 21, 2011, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Your Committee discussed several topics of interest, including:

Acting Deputy Commissioner’s Report/Update [Oral] – The Acting Deputy Commissioner reported on the following issues:

• Overview of PPC Consent Agenda items scheduled for action by the Full Board
• Document Scanning
• E-licensing
• International Medical School Advisory Committee

Amendments to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Midwifery [PPC (D) 2] – A discussion of proposed regulations to implement a new law relating to the collaborative relationships for midwives and to revise the professional education requirements for midwifery.

Amendments to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Massage Therapy [PPC (D) 1] – A discussion of proposed regulations to implement a new law that established continuing education requirements for massage therapists.