College Disciplinary Actions

The College reports discipline matters in the next issue of the Newsletter after the disciplinary action is complete.  The College website  also contains information on discipline matters that are completed and matters where charges have been laid but have not yet been completed.
 
The website contains additional details about all disciplinary actions taken by the College since 1999. That includes information about the charges, a copy of the discipline hearing committee decision if there was a hearing, and the Council decision imposing penalty. If a discipline matter was resolved through post-charge alternative dispute resolution, the information will include a copy of the undertaking signed by the physician or a summary of the terms to be completed. 

There were four (4) discipline matters completed since the last Newsletter report.
 

Dr. Zimran Chowdhary

Dr. Chowdhary was charged with unprofessional conduct in 2020.  The charge alleged a failure to maintain the standard of practice of the profession with respect to the management of a post-operative complication in 2012.  The matter was resolved in early 2022 through post-charge alternative dispute resolution (ADR) when Dr. Chowdhary agreed to take courses in medical record-keeping and patient communication with compassion, to review certain educational modules, to pay the costs of the College investigation, and to provide to the Registrar a focused review of certain surgical complications experienced in the past 5 years and the management thereof.  Provided that he completes those tasks within the specified times, the College will not proceed further with the charge against him.

Dr. Rajnikant Patel

Dr. Patel was charged with unprofessional conduct. The charge alleged that he failed to meet the standards of the medical profession in relation to prescribing methadone and that he had a conflict of interest in relation to his methadone practice. A hearing was held on March 22-31, 2021. Dr. Patel was found not guilty of these charges.

 Dr. Jeremy Reed

Dr. Reed was criminally charged, pled guilty and was convicted for assaulting his spouse and breaching his criminal undertaking twice. He was sentenced to a conditional discharge in Provincial Court. He was also charged by the College with unprofessional conduct. The charge of unprofessional conduct was resolved through post-charge alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Dr. Reed signed an undertaking and, provided that he complies with the terms of the undertaking, the College will not proceed further with the charge of unprofessional conduct against him.

Dr. Bruce Zimmermann

Dr. Zimmermann admitted two charges of unprofessional conduct for failing to complete hospital charts in a timely manner (charges laid in 2019 and 2021) and admitted one charge of unprofessional conduct for breaching an undertaking to the College. The Council imposed the following penalty: 1) a reprimand; 2) a two-month suspension, to take effect no later than June 1, 2022; 3) a requirement that he successfully complete a medical record-keeping course and a time management course, 4) an order that he pay the College’s costs of $1,740.00.