DOH Suspends Six Health Practitioners on Drug, Sex Charges

The state Department of Health on Tuesday announced the suspension of licenses of six Florida practitioners, including a massage therapist who went over the line.

Emergency suspension orders were filed on:

Joseph Brown, R.P.H., Lake Worth. Brown admittedly violated Florida Statute 8913.13(6) (a) by possessing a controlled substance without a prescription.

Shelby N. Dickens, C.N.A., St. Petersburg. Dickens entered pleas of guilty to multiple counts of sale or possession of controlled substances, including oxycodone and marijuana.

Michael G. Hammonds, D.D.S., Deltona. Hammonds operated a dental office in such a manner as to result in dental treatment that is below minimum acceptable standards of performance for the community; directly engaged in misconduct in the practice of dentistry by using illegal force/violence upon an elderly patient; and was found guilty of incompetence or negligence by failing to meet the minimum standards of performance in diagnosis and treatment when measured against generally prevailing peer performance.

Riyaz A. Jummani, M.D., Orlando. Jummani prescribed several potentially addictive controlled pain medications to patients, notwithstanding the patients' openly exhibited drug-seeking behavior and demonstrated a lack of need for the medication; and prescribed controlled substances to patients on multiple occasions without conducting complete physical examinations of the patients.

Michael McGee, L.M.T., Olympia Fields, Ill. McGee used his massage therapist-client relationship to induce, attempt to engage or engage them in sexual activity and failed to practice massage with that level of care, skill and treatment that is acceptable under the circumstances when he engaged or attempted to engage patients in sexual activity while giving them a massage.

Stacey Renee Peternel, R.N., Green Cove Springs. Peternel engaged in unprofessional conduct by testing positive on her drug screen without a prescription or legitimate medical reason for using such drug.

View the complete orders on DOHs online newsroom at http://newsroom.doh.state.fl.us/category/healthcare-licensing/.