DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES
DR. BALDEEP TAKHAR
PRACTICE LOCATION: Cambridge, Kitchener
AREA OF PRACTICE: Family Medicine
HEARING INFORMATION: Admission; Agreed Statement of
Facts; Joint Submission on Penalty
On May 24, 2019, the Discipline Committee found
that Dr. Takhar committed an act of professional
misconduct, in that she failed to maintain the stan-
dard of practice of the profession.
In November 2013, Dr. Takhar, along with three
other doctors, created the Franklin Family Health
Organization (FHO). Dr. Takhar assumed the role of
“Lead FHO Physician.”
Dr. Takhar practised at two locations of the Frank-
lin FHO in Kitchener, and at one location in Cam-
bridge. A further location opened in Guelph in 2014,
which was run by two other member physicians.
Dr. Takhar’s practice grew between December 2013
and December 2015 from 4,453 patients to 7,282
patients. Dr. Takhar rostered too many patients at the
FHO and to herself personally, without ensuring that
continuity of care could be provided. The FHO used
an electronic medical records system, but the system
in place did not reliably show whether a test result in
the system had been reviewed by a physician, wheth-
er a patient had taken a test that had been ordered,
or whether a test result was lost. It was difficult to de-
termine who was the most responsible physician and
there was no clear policy about who should follow
up. This resulted in inconsistent follow-up and in
necessary follow-up sometimes being missed. Issues
were identified with Dr. Takhar’s charting practices
in a number of charts, including incomplete or vague
progress notes, failing to document clinical indica-
tion for tests ordered or for medications prescribed,
missing information in patient profiles, and lack of
appropriate documentation regarding two diabetic
patients. Dr. Takhar’s clinical care of patients also did
not meet the standard of practice in a variety of ways,
such as delayed or missed follow-up on test results,
inconsistent follow-up on preventive health care, and
lack of clinical details in referral letters.
Patients enrolled with the Franklin FHO were
rostered to an individual physician. However, the
Franklin FHO used a “shared care model”, in which
each patient could book an appointment to see any
of the physicians on staff or walk in on the weekend
to do so. The rapid growth of the Franklin FHO and
the problems that arose in implementing the “shared
care model” contributed to Dr. Takhar’s failure to
maintain the standard of practice of the profession.
Dr. Takhar has advised that she has made a vari-
ety of practice changes since the time period dur-
ing which her practice was investigated, including
reducing her practice to a single site and completing
a record-keeping course.
ORDER
The Discipline Committee ordered: a reprimand, and
the imposition of terms conditions and limitations
on Dr. Takhar’s certificate of registration requiring
attendance at a family medicine program/conference,
successful completion of educational training in “Ef-
fective Team Interactions”; an ethics and boundaries
course; and an assessment of Dr. Takhar’s practice
within one year. The College also ordered hearing
costs in the amount of $6,000.
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. Takhar waived her
right to an appeal and the Committee administered the
public reprimand.
ISSUE 3, 2019 DIALOGUE
63