The state Medical Examining Board on Tuesday reprimanded the licenses of a New Milford radiologist for patient care lapses, and of a Cheshire physician assistant for improper drug prescribing.
The board imposed a reprimand and one-year probation, with monitoring by a physician, on Dr. Michael Waldman of New Milford, after an incident in which he punctured a patient’s spleen during a procedure and failed to properly care for and monitor the patient afterwards.
According to documents, Waldman punctured 74-year-old Tom D’Amato’s spleen in April 2010 and failed to inform him or to properly monitor his condition following surgery. D’Amato was sent home without adequate discharge instructions and died three days later. Waldman admitted the lapses and said he had worked to change procedures at New Milford Hospital, where he worked at the time.
The board also issued a reprimand to Donald Kagan of Cheshire, a physician assistant, in connection with allegations that he authorized prescriptions for oxycodone for his father in 2011 without maintaining appropriate records, and also for a patient who was a personal friend, without requiring an office visit. Both the friend and his father suffered from back pain, Kagan said. The Department of Consumer Protection has entered into an agreement with Kagan that prohibits him from dispensing, administering or prescribing controlled substances to himself, family or friends, according to documents filed with the medical board.
In other action, the board dismissed charges against Dr. Regina Hillsman, who practices orthopedics in Naugatuck, in a case in which a 12-year-old patient’s mother had alleged she was not notified in a timely manner about her son’s positive test results for Lyme Disease. The board found there was insufficient evidence to indicate that Hillsman had failed to properly notify the patient’s family.
These two cases demonstrate how pointless making complaints to professional boards is. Both of these clowns should have had their licenses revoked. However, it is no different for Lawyers or Judges. Judges are untouchable by anyone. Lawyers will receive a mild rebuke but ONLY if the complaint comes from another attorney or judge. Public complaints are ignored no matter what the issue is. The only exception is if a member of the public can convince a criminal action be initiated by the police or prosecutor. Other than that, these “professionals” have these boards to give the appearance of integrity, preserve their own livelihoods and prevent the state from setting up review boards that actually act.