Nature of Action: An undertaking and consent of the registrant under section 33(6)(c) of the Health Professions Act (the “Act”) providing for limits and conditions on the registrant’s practice, including:
- an undertaking to successfully complete a College-approved course (or courses) on the topics of professional boundaries, professional communications, draping, informed consent, scope of practice, and record-keeping/charting;
- an undertaking to receive mentoring;
- an undertaking to pay the College $1,000 in costs; and
- an undertaking to pay to the College a fine in the amount of $500.
Reasons: The College received a complaint from a former female patient of the registrant (the “Complainant”).
The registrant admitted to having committed professional misconduct by:
- draping the Complainant such that her breasts were exposed on multiple occasions;
- conducting an assessment of the Complainant by having her walk about the room while she was only wearing thong underwear, and was otherwise unclothed;
- failing to properly drape and/or position the Complainant, which may have resulted in the registrant inadvertently placing his thumb on the Complainant’s genitals over her underwear;
- failing to obtain the Complainant’s continued informed consent to treatment; and
- failing to comply with record-keeping requirements.
By engaging in the admitted conduct, the registrant has violated several sections of the CMTBC’s Code of Ethical Conduct and the Standards of Practice.