DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES
On September 14, 2009, on his instructions, Dr. Galea’ s employee attempted to enter the United States at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo to meet Dr. Galea in Washington D. C., where Dr. Galea was to provide medical treatment to a professional athlete. During secondary inspection, the employee told an Officer from the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection( CBP), that she was travelling to Washington, D. C. to attend a medical conference with her employer, Dr. Galea. The employee further stated to the CBP Officer that she had items intended for display at the medical conference. The employee made these statements pursuant to an understanding she had with Dr. Galea that she would falsely tell U. S. border personnel that she and Dr. Galea would be attending a medical conference in the United States. A duffle bag in her vehicle contained medical items including needles, over one hundred syringes, a medical centrifuge, numerous bottles, including a bottle of Nutropin and bottles of Actovegin, 20 vials and 76 ampoules of drugs not properly branded in contravention of U. S. Regulations, and a diagnostic ultrasound computer. As a result of the above conduct, the employee was arrested and charged in the United States. The employee pleaded guilty in the United States District Court to making a false statement to a federal agent, and was convicted of a felony criminal offence. On July 25, 2011, she was sentenced to one year probation. She is unable to travel to the United States without permission. On December 16, 2011, Dr. Galea was sentenced to time served, namely the day of his voluntary surrender to U. S. authorities, during which he had not been in detention, and supervised release for one year on the terms set out in the Judgment.
ORDER On December 6, 2017, the Discipline Committee ordered: the suspension of Dr. Galea’ s certificate of registration for a period of nine months; a reprimand; and payment to the College for costs in the amount of $ 21,500. For complete details, 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. Galea waived his right to an appeal and the Committee administered the public reprimand.
DR. YELIAN GARCIA
PRACTICE LOCATION: Aurora AREA OF PRACTICE: General Practice
HEARING INFORMATION: Partially Contested; 9.5 Hearing Dates; Joint Submission on Penalty
On February 15, 2017, following a partially contested hearing, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Garcia committed acts of professional misconduct, in that he failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession and engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct.
FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE STANDARD OF PRACTICE( AGREED STATEMENT OF FACTS) After graduating from medical school and completing a residency program through McMaster University, Dr. Garcia practised under a restricted certificate of registration between August 18, 2011 and January 12, 2012. During this time, he practised family medicine under the supervision of a physician at Wellington Medical Centre in Aurora, and under the supervision of a second physician at Oak Ridges Medical and Urgent Care Centre in Richmond Hill. Dr. Garcia obtained his certificate of registration authorizing independent practice in January 2012. Dr. Garcia continued to provide family medicine and walk-in services at Wellington Medical Centre and urgent care services at Oak Ridges Urgent Care Centre. He also began providing urgent care and walk-in services at One Care Medical Clinic in Scarborough and Woodbridge Urgent Care Centre in Woodbridge, as well as providing medical care to patients at three long-term / residential care facilities. According to Dr. Garcia, he was seeing on average 10 to 13 patients per hour at the Wellington Medical Centre in 2012. Because of this, Dr. Garcia would chart pertinent information during patient encounters and complete 50-70 % of his charts at the end of the day.
ISSUE 3, 2018 DIALOGUE 35