Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 03 Aug 2004
Summary:
On August 3, 2004, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Abelsohn committed acts of professional misconduct in that he sexually abused a patient (touching and behaviour of a sexual nature), engaged in acts relevant to the practise of medicine that having regard to all the circumstances would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional (various boundary violations). In addition, the Committee found Dr. Abelsohn to be incompetent as defined in subsection 52(1) of the Code.
On October 14, 2004, the Discipline Committee ordered the following:
1. The Discipline Committee directs the Registrar to suspend Dr. Abelsohn s certificate of registration for a period of twelve (12) months, to commence on December 1, 2004.
2. The Discipline Committee directs that the Registrar impose the following terms, conditions and limitations on Dr. Abelsohn s certificate of registration for an indefinite period of time:
(a) Dr. Abelsohn must successfully complete a boundaries course acceptable to the College at his own expense before November 1, 2005;
(b) Dr. Abelsohn is prohibited from providing individual psychotherapy to patients, and from providing or billing for any service which should be billed under the OHIP codes applicable to individual psychotherapy, including K006 and K007. With respect to billing code K005, Dr. Abelsohn shall maintain a separate log by patient name of all services billed under Code K005, to be submitted to the Registrar within five days of the end of each month. Dr. Abelsohn may provide family or marital therapy to patients, but may only provide such treatment in the presence of two or more family members or individuals;
(c) Dr. Abelsohn will forthwith execute a consent in the form attached at Schedule A consenting to the release of his OHIP billing information to the College; and
(d) Dr. Abelsohn will co-operate with any medical inspector chosen by the College who may conduct random inspections of Dr. Abelsohn's OHIP billings and their supporting chart entries for specified codes and periods subsequent to the date of this Order of the inspector's choosing.
3. The Discipline Committee orders Dr. Abelsohn to attend before the panel to be reprimanded, with the fact of the reprimand to be recorded on the register.
4. The Discipline Committee further orders that this proceeding be included in the Register.