DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES
DR. MATHIEU BÉLANGER
PRACTICE LOCATION: Ottawa
AREA OF PRACTICE: Family Medicine (Pain Management)
HEARING INFORMATION: Admission; Agreed Statement of
Facts; Joint Submission on Penalty
On February 15, 2018, the Discipline Committee
found that Dr. Bélanger committed an act of profes-
sional misconduct in that he engaged in an act or
omission relevant to the practice of medicine that,
having regard to all the circumstances, would reason-
ably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishon-
ourable or unprofessional.
Dr. Bélanger is a family physician who practises in
the area of interventional pain management.
Dr. Bélanger currently works at, and owns, the
Inovo Medical Clinic in Ottawa, a clinic that pro-
vides interventional pain management procedures.
Dr. Bélanger was the Medical Director of Inovo.
Following referral of this matter to discipline and at
the request of the College, Dr. Bélanger appointed an
acting Medical Director.
Nerve blocks, which are categorized as Level 2 In-
terventional Pain Management procedures, are only
authorized to be performed in an out-of-hospital
premises (OHP) that is approved by the College.
Between October 15 and January 2016, Dr. Bélanger
provided interventional pain treatments to patients,
including Level 2 nerve blocks, while working in a
clinic that was not an approved OHP.
Dr. Bélanger was aware of the requirement that
Level 2 procedures can only be performed in an
OHP that has been approved and that responsibility
for notifying the College’s OHP program is on the
physician. He was aware that the clinic where he was
performing Level 2 procedures was not an approved
OHP, had never been inspected under the Out of
Hospital Premises Inspection Program, did not meet
program requirements and that he was not autho-
rized to provide Level 2 procedures in that location.
There is no evidence that Dr. Bélanger’s perfor-
mance of any of these procedures caused any harm to
any patients.
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DIALOGUE ISSUE 4, 2018
The OHIP information indicates that between Oc-
tober 21, 2015 and January 13, 2016, Dr. Bèlanger
billed approximately $103,428.00 for performing
Level 2 procedures in the clinic that was not an ap-
proved OHP, that are only authorized to be per-
formed in an OHP.
ORDER
The Committee ordered: a suspension of five months
on Dr. Bélanger’s certificate of registration; a repri-
mand; successful completion of an ethics and profes-
sionalism course; and a requirement for the College’s
OHP program approval before Dr. Bélanger resumes
the role of Medical Director in an OHP. The Com-
mittee also ordered Dr. Bélanger to pay $5,500 in
costs.
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. Bélanger waived
his right to an appeal and the Committee administered
the public reprimand.
DR. JOHN LEE BINGHAM
PRACTICE LOCATION: Toronto
AREA OF PRACTICE: General Practice (Psychotherapy)
HEARING INFORMATION: Plea of No Contest; State-
ment of Uncontested Facts; Joint Submission on Penalty
On January 9, 2018, the Discipline Committee
found that Dr. Bingham committed an act of profes-
sional misconduct, in that he engaged in sexual abuse
of a patient, and in that he 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. Bingham is a general practitioner who obtained
his certificate of registration in Ontario on Decem-
ber 1, 1980. At the material time, he was practising
psychotherapy in Toronto.