discipline summaries
spared the witnesses from having to testify.
The Committee reviewed and considered the case
law concerning similar cases provided by both counsel
for the College and Dr. Powell. The Committee was
cognizant that no two cases are alike and each case
must be considered on its own facts. The proposed
penalty including the suspension of Dr. Powell’s certificate of registration for nine months is fair and just
and within the range of prior penalties where a finding
of disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional misconduct has been made for similar misconduct. The
lengthy suspension serves as a specific deterrent to Dr.
Powell and as a general deterrent to the profession as a
whole that such behaviour is unacceptable.
One purpose of a penalty is to provide for some element of rehabilitation for the member to the extent
possible. The Committee expects that by ordering that
Dr. Powell undertake both the College’s course in Understanding Boundaries in Managing the Risks Inherent
in the Doctor-Patient Relationship and the Collegefacilitated instruction in Ethics, Dr. Powell might gain
some insight into the seriousness of his transgressions
and prevent further harm to patients in the future.
This is an appropriate case for costs. As agreed by the
parties, the Committee also ordered that Dr. Powell
pay the tariff for one day of hearing in the amount of
$4,460.
Order
The Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:
1. he Registrar suspend Dr. Powell’s certificate of
t
registration for a period of nine months, effective
immediately.
2. he Registrar impose the following term, condition
t
and limitation on Dr. Powell’s certificate of registration:
(a) r. Powell must successfully complete, at his
D
own expense, the following courses within 12
months of the date of this Order:
(i) he College’s Understanding Boundaries in
t
Managing the Risks Inherent in the DoctorPatient Relationship; and
(ii) he College-facilitated instruction in Ethics
t
course.
3. Dr. Powell appear before the panel to be reprimanded.
4. Dr. Powell pay to the College costs in the amount
of $4,460, within 30 days of the date of this Order.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Dr. Powell waived his
right to an appeal and the Committee administered thepublic reprimand.
DR. LEONA CONSTANCE RUDINSKAS
Practice Location: Toronto
Practice Area: Oncology, Hematology and Internal
Medicine
Hearing Information: Agreed Statement of Facts,
Admission, Joint Submission on Penalty (Initially
Contested)
On December 9, 2013, the Discipline Committee
found that Dr. Rudinskas committed an act of professional misconduct, in that she failed to maintain the
standard of practice of the profession. Dr. Rudinskas
admitted the allegation.
Dr. Rudinskas practises oncology, hematology and
internal medicine.
Patient A
Dr. Rudinskas failed to: perform appropriate assessments; round at an appropriate hour; review patient’s
condition as documented in her chart and in test results
in a timely manner, and to respond in a timely manner to information about her condition; appropriately
assess her following a hemoglobin drop; order a CT
scan on a ‘stat’ basis in a timely manner; review results
of abdominal X-rays demonstrating the existence of a
bowel obstruction in a timely manner; diagnose a bowel
obstruction in a timely manner; and communicate in a
timely manner with the patient’s family.
Patient B
Patient B, an infant, died of known cardiac congenital
abnormalities. In her role as Coroner, Dr. Rudinskas
Full decisions are available online at www.cpso.on.ca.
Select Doctor Search and enter the doctor’s name.
Issue 1, 2015 Dialogue
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2015-03-19 11:18 AM