DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES
to refrain from repeat demands for immediate pay-
ment from Quebec patients for his services.
After speaking with the social worker who had
assisted with the above incident, Dr. Podell inap-
propriately requested that she portray him in a more
favorable light in her report.
In April of 2014, in the Operating Room, Dr.
Podell bumped into Nurse X. Nurse X felt that the
physical contact was intentional, and filed a com-
plaint against Dr. Podell. Dr. Podell reported that the
contact was unintentional. Dr. Podell was asked not
to have any contact with Nurse X. Nonetheless, he
attempted to do so on three occasions, which Nurse
X found intimidating.
On May 7, 2014 , the hospital suspended Dr.
Podell’s privileges. Dr. Podell subsequently resigned
his privileges on May 14, 2016.
ORDER
The Discipline Committee ordered: a three-month
suspension of Dr. Podell’s certificate of registration;
the imposition of terms, conditions and limitations
on Dr. Podell’s certificate of registration; a public
reprimand; and payment to the College for costs in
the amount of $5,000.
The terms, conditions and limitations include com-
pliance of the Changing Scope of Practice and/or Re-
entering Practice policies; and requiring Dr. Podell
to enter into an agreement with the Physician Health
Program, prior to returning to practice, which shall
include workplace monitoring.
For complete details of the Order, please see the
full decision at www.cpso.on.ca. Select Find a Doctor
and enter the doctor’s name.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Dr. Podell waived his
right to an appeal and the Committee administered the
public reprimand.
Full decisions are available online at www.cpso.on.ca.
Select Find a Doctor and enter the doctor’s name.
DR. GERALD WAYNE POWELL
PRACTICE LOCATION: Ottawa
AREA OF PRACTICE: Psychiatry
HEARING INFORMATION: Admission; Agreed Statement
of Facts; Agreed Statement of Facts on Penalty; Joint
Submission on Penalty
On January 10, 2017, the Discipline Committee
found that Dr. Powell committed acts of professional
misconduct, in that he failed to maintain the stan-
dard of practice of the profession; and he engaged in
conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practice
of medicine that, having regard to all the circum-
stances, would reasonably be regarded by members
as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional, with
respect to his billing practices.
Psychotherapeutic Frame, Documentation
and Medication Monitoring
Dr. Powell is a psychiatrist practising in Ottawa. In
2009, following a complaint from a former patient,
the College retained an expert to provide an inde-
pendent opinion with respect to Dr. Powell’s care of
this patient. As a result of the concerns raised in this
opinion, the College conducted a broader investi-
gation into Dr. Powell’s psychiatric practice under
section 75(1)(a) of the Health Professions Procedural
Code.
In this broad investigation, three main areas of con-
cern with respect to Dr. Powell’s care and treatment
of patients were identified by an expert retained by
the College. These included:
• D
r. Powell failed to maintain an appropriate psy-
chotherapeutic frame in 19 of the 25 charts;
• D
r. Powell had lapses in his documentation, such
as omitting start and stop times in 11 of the 25
charts and failing to document the monitoring
(by himself or a family doctor) of metabolic side
effects from atypical antipsychotic medications in
8 of the 25 charts; and
• D
r. Powell demonstrated inadequate knowledge
regarding the monitoring of atypical antipsychot-
ic medications in at least 1 of the 25 charts.
ISSUE 1, 2018 DIALOGUE
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