Alberta doctor who hugged and ‘air kissed’ staff without consent receives 3-month suspension – Calgary | The Canadian News

An Alberta doctor found guilty of unprofessional conduct for air kissing and hugging a medical office staff member without her consent has been suspended.

Calgary general practitioner Dr. Efe Michael Ovueni has received a three-month suspension from a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) hearing tribunal.

The independent hearing tribunal ordered Ovueni to receive a three-month suspension on his practice permit, with two weeks served and two-and-a-half months held in abeyance if no further boundary concerns are brought forward to the CPSA.

“The proposed penalties, combined with the disciplinary experience, should be sufficient to deter Dr. Ovueni from repeating the conduct in the future, ”wrote Dr. Robin G. Cox in the tribunal’s decisions paper.

The suspension comes after the tribunal conducted an investigation into Ovueni’s misconduct. According to the decisions paper, Ovueni admitted that he hugged and air kissed one of his medical office staff on Jan. 21, 2020. The investigation also found texts between Ovueni and the staff member, in which Ovueni asked her if he was going too far.

The staff member, who was not named in the document, reported the incident shortly after. According to the decisions paper, the staff member felt shocked at the time of the incident and required some time off work.

“She stated that she would be very uncomfortable working with Dr. Ovueni in the future and wished never to assist or see him again. Schedules had to be arranged so that they would not be in the office at the same time, disrupting her day-to-day life, ”Cox wrote.

Since the complainant is not a patient, Ovueni’s conduct does not meet the definition of sexual misconduct under the Health Professions Act.

The CPSA said Ovueni is also responsible for the full cost of the investigation and hearing and must also pay a fine of $ 3,000. The total cost has yet to be determined.

The CPSA is the regulator for all physicians, physician assistants and surgeons in the province and is governed by the Health Professions Act.