A Newport Beach orthopaedic surgeon, who appeared on the Bravo reality show Online Dating Rituals of the American Male, had a dating ritual with his girlfriend that involved finding a second woman and drugging and raping her, according to authorities with fears there may be 1,000 victims. Dr. Grant William Robicheaux, 38, of Newport Beach, is charged […]
Doctor's Orders
Say It Ain’t Shohei: Ohtani Needs Tommy John Surgery
Read it and weep, Angels fans: Shohei Ohtani needs Tommy John surgery. The Halos announced the sad fact via Twitter today. The pitching and hitting double-threat from Japan had previously said he felt good after his most recent start on Sunday. Then came a report he suffered a sore back and elbow unrelated to the […]
Yoni Products Settlement Leaves Jade Egg on Face of Goop’s Gwyneth Paltrow
The Orange County District Attorney’s office is part of the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device Task Force that settled a consumer protection action Tuesday against Goop, Inc., Gwyneth Paltrow’s “lifestyle brand” that pushes vitamins, dietary supplements and products that supposedly improve women’s vaginas. Goop advertised that its Jade Egg and Rose Quartz Egg could […]
Fountain Valley Anesthesiologist Disciplined in California was Dinged in Boston 11 Years Ago for Snoozing in Surgery, Huffing Gas
A Fountain Valley anesthesiologist, whose license to practice medicine in California was recently restricted, previously had his Massachusetts license revoked for falling asleep during a surgical procedure and inhaling anesthetic gas while on lunch break a month later. The most recent order against the medical license of Dr. Thomas Hwei Ho went into effect on June […]
Dr. Edward Michael Linzey Surrenders Medical License Due to Competency Issues
An Irvine obstetrician-gynecologist surrendered his license to practice medicine due to “mental or physical illness affecting competency,” according to the Medical Board of California. With their signatures to a state acceptance letter in May, Dr. Edward Michael Linzey and his attorneys Dennis K. Ames and Pogey Henderson agreed to the license surrender and the facts […]
Dr. Anaida Melkumian Accused of Over-Prescribing to 4 Patients; 3 were Addicts
The Medical Board of California has filed an accusation against the medical license of a Long Beach family medicine physician, who allegedly over-prescribed medications to four patients, three of whom were addicts. Click here to read the accusation that was filed May 30 against the license of Dr. Anaida Melkumian. One patient, a woman in […]
Three More Surgeons Indicted in Drobot Scheme
Three more doctors were federally charged with fraud for their part in a spinal surgery referral scheme ran by Michael Drobot, former CEO of Pacific Hospital of Long Beach, and current felon. “These doctors,” stated US Attorney prosecuting the trio Joe McNally, “were essentially paid to steer surgeries to Pacific Hospital.” Over a […]
Kaiser Doctor Charged With Sexting High School Cheerleaders on Social Media
A medical doctor who volunteered at Newport Harbor High School sporting events is facing charges of sending two teenage cheerleaders sexually motivated messages through social media. David Lee Haller, a 51-year-old Newport Beach resident, could spend two years behind bars in county jail if convicted of misdemeanor counts of child annoyance. At the time of […]
Physiatrist’s Medical License on Probation for Crashing Jag While on Coke and Pills
The medical license of a Huntington Beach physiatrist or physical medicine and rehabilitation physician has been placed on probation for six years because he was convicted in Orange County Superior Court for crashing a Jaguar into a light pole while high on cocaine and prescription drugs. The Medical Board of California order that went into […]
Dr. Ahmed Abo-Elkhier Serag’s License on Probation for Beating of Puppy That Died
The medical license of an Anaheim anesthesiologist was placed on four years probation because he beat the stuffing out of his five-month-old puppy and left the Wheaten terrier to die alone. During the probation that became effective on May 18, Dr. Ahmed Abo-Elkhier Serag is prohibited from engaging in the solo practice of medicine and […]
Dr. David D. House Must Have Chaperone with Females Due to Sexual Battery Rap
A longtime Orange County family practitioner, who has pleaded not guilty to sexual exploitation of a patient and sexual battery of an unconscious person, has been ordered by a judge to be accompanied by a chaperone when he treats females until his criminal case is resolved. Orange County Superior Court Judge Robert C. Gannon’s order […]
Medical Board Accusation Against Surgeon Dr. Daniel Miguel Bethencourt is Withdrawn
The Medical Board of California has withdrawn an accusation against a Fountain Valley resident and prominent heart surgeon in Long Beach. The board’s staff had been investigating Dr. Daniel Miguel Bethencourt for possible disciplinary action because of a 2013 procedure in which a patient nearly lost his leg. Specifically, investigators were looking into whether there […]
Dr. Rosalinda Maria Menoni Reprimanded for Care of Patient with Back Pain
A Huntington Beach neurosurgeon received a public reprimand from the Medical Board of California for her treatment of a man who complained of neck and shoulder pain with loss of strength in his arm. Click here to read the order against the license of Dr. Rosalinda Maria Menoni that went into effect on May 2. […]
Dr. Ronald Keith McGee’s License Put on Probation Due to Fraud Case
We’ve reported here on the medical licenses of three San Clemente physicians being placed on probation by the state over court convictions tied to insurance fraud. Earlier this month, a fourth doctor who belonged to the same practice had his license placed on probation as well. On May 11, the license of Dr. Ronald Keith […]
Allegation of Sex with Patient Spurs More License Woes for Santa Ana Psychiatrist
A Santa Ana psychiatrist—who was disciplined by the state medical board in December for his ill treatment of patients, family members, an Orange County judge and a medical board investigator—is now in hot water for allegedly having sex with a patient he went on to marry. Click here to read our previous coverage of Medical […]
Doctor’s License Put on 8 Years Probation for Masturbating at Cal State Fullerton
The medical license of a Santa Ana neurologist has been placed on probation for eight years due to his confessed mental illness, according to the Medical Board of California. During the probationary period, Dr. Robert Alva Rose is prohibited from seeing female patients or those of any sex under age 18, nor can he supervise physician […]
Dr. Safwat Rizkalla’s Medical License Suspended Pending Hearing on Opioid Use
The medical license of a Yorba Linda anesthesiologist, who allegedly told an addiction psychiatrist that he used prescription opioids and sedatives before assisting in surgeries, has been suspended pending a full hearing on his drug use, according to state officials. Dr. Safwat Rizkalla has not been able to practice medicine since the suspension went into […]
Dr. Robin Richard Cole Has His Medical License Revoked
The Medical Board of California has revoked the license to practice medicine of a general surgeon in Placentia. The order against the license of Dr. Robin Richard Cole went into effect on April 20. Click here to read it. The board had ordered physical and psychiatric examinations of Cole last September. The exams had to […]
Stem Cell Transplant Dr. Eugen Michael Molnar has CA Medical License Revoked
The Medical Board of California recently revoked the license to practice of a Czechoslovakia-born physician who began his career in plastic surgery but went on to transplant fetal precursor cells in patients of his offices in Orange County and around the world. Click here to read the order against the license of Dr. Eugen Michael […]
Dr. Gregory John Van Dyke Ends State Case by Surrendering Medical License
A Dana Point internal medicine specialist—who the state in January accused of poor record keeping, over prescribing medications without documenting valid needs and improper treatment of a patient with extremely high blood pressure—surrendered his license to practice medicine in California. Dr. Gregory John Van Dyke’s surrender became effective at 5 p.m. on March 22, according […]
Dr. Dhiraj Raj Jeyanandarajan Dinged over Continuing Medical Education Hours
An Irvine neurology specialist’s failure to complete a continuing education requirement in Pennsylvania has led to discipline in that state, North Carolina and California, according to authorities. Because the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine found that Dr. Dhiraj Raj Jeyanandarajan was around 30 hours short of the minimum 100 total hours of continuing medical education required […]