discipline summaries
Dr. GREGORY JOHN JUN TUNG LOWE
Practice Location: Toronto
Practice Area: Internal Medicine
Hearing Information: Agreed Statement of Facts,
Admission, Joint Submission on Penalty, Agreed
Statement of Facts on Penalty
On April 8, 2015, the Discipline Committee found
that Dr. Lowe committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he has engaged in conduct or an act
or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that,
having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.
Dr. Lowe admitted that he breached an undertaking entered into with the College on November 19,
2012, by failing to complete an educational program
in communications facilitated by the College.
In June 2011, the College received information
from Dr. X, Chief of Staff, stating that he had suspended Dr. Lowe’s hospital privileges. The suspension
arose out of staff concerns regarding Dr. Lowe’s communications and conduct. As a result, the College
commenced an investigation into Dr. Lowe’s practice.
The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) directed the negotiation of an undertaking that addressed their concerns about Dr. Lowe’s
conduct and communication skills. In the undertaking, signed November 19, 2012, Dr. Lowe agreed “to
participate in and successfully complete”:
(a) an educational program in communications
facilitated by the College, to be completed within six
months; and
(b) the “Crucial Conversations” course offered by
the OMA’s Physician Workplace Support Program on
December 17 and 18, 2012.
Dr. Lowe attended the “Crucial Conversations” course
on the dates he committed to in the undertaking.
Following its completion, a College compliance
monitor wrote to Dr. Lowe to provide him with the
details of the College’s communications course with
Dr. Y (Ph D). She informed him that he was “required to attend two individualized Physician-Patient
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Dialogue Issue 1, 2016
Communication educational 3-4 hour sessions with
Dr. Y…and one follow-up `reinforcement’ session
approximately three months after your final educational session…”
In February 2013, Dr. Y informed the College
compliance monitor that Dr. Lowe had still not contacted her to enrol in the sessions. Dr. Y also experienced problems in setting up appointments with Dr.
Lowe. When Dr. Y responded to Dr. Lowe’s request
for dates, he did not reply. Dr. Y also informed the
compliance monitor that Dr. Lowe failed to show
up for his scheduled appointment with her in June
2013. In September 2013, Dr. Lowe was advised
that his failure to comply with the order that he attend the College’s communications course would be
considered by the ICRC. Subsequently, the ICRC
referred allegations of professional misconduct to the
Discipline Committee.
In November 2014, Dr. Y informed the College
that Dr. Lowe had completed three, two-hour sessions.
The only outstanding se