Report of Regents Professional Practice Committee to The Board of Regents

Your Professional Practice Committee held its scheduled meeting on April 13, 2015.  All members were present except Regent Josephine Victoria Finn, who was excused.  Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch, Regent Catherine Collins and Regent Judith Johnson were also present, but did not vote on any case or action.

ACTION ITEMS

Professional Discipline Cases

Your Committee recommends that the reports of the Regents Review Committees, including rulings, findings of fact, determinations as to guilt, and recommendations, by unanimous or majority vote, contained in those reports which have been distributed to you, be accepted in 4 cases. In addition, your Committee recommends, upon the recommendation of the Committee on the Professions, that 41 consent order applications and 5 surrender applications be granted. [PPC EXS (A) 1-3]

In the case of Steven Mark Pordy a/k/a Steven M. Pordy, Certified Public Accountant, Calendar No. 26868, we recommend that the recommendation of the Regents Review Committee be accepted and be clarified in one respect as follows: the words “addressed as set forth below” set forth in the last paragraph on page 5 of the report of the Regents Review Committee be deemed deleted and the words “addressed as set forth in term of probation numbered 2 of Exhibit B to the report of the Regents Review Committee” be deemed substituted in lieu thereof.

These recommendations are made following the review of 50 cases involving fifteen registered professional nurses, eight licensed practical nurses, four dentists, four pharmacists, three certified public accountants, two licensed practical nurses who are also registered professional nurses, two massage therapists, one certified public accountant professional corporation, one clinical laboratory technologist, one dental hygienist, one licensed clinical social worker, one licensed master social worker, one licensed master social worker who is also a licensed clinical social worker, one pharmacy, one physical therapist, and one veterinarian.

Restorations

Your Committee recommends the following:

That Patrick Okoye be required to take and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE); that, following his successful completion of the NAPLEX, and MPJE, as determined by the Director of the Office of Professional Discipline, the execution of the surrender of his pharmacist license be stayed; that, upon his return to practice, he be placed on probation for a period of two years under the terms and conditions of probation of the Committee on the Professions; and that, upon successful completion of probation, his license be fully restored. [PPC EXS (A) 4]

That the application of Alexander Do for the restoration of his license to practice as a pharmacist in New York State be denied. [PPC EXS (A) 5]

That the execution of the surrender of the John E. Gruninger’s license to practice as a certified public accountant in the State of New York be stayed, that he be placed on probation for a period of three years under the Terms of Probation annexed to the Report of the Committee on the Professions as Exhibit A, and that, upon successful completion of probation, his license be fully restored. [PPC EXS (A) 6]

That the execution of the surrender of Lawrence Kalkstein’s license to practice as a certified public accountant in the State of New York be stayed, that he be placed on probation for a period of three years under the Terms of Probation of the Committee on the Professions, and that, upon successful completion of probation, his license be fully restored. [PPC EXS (A) 7]

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

Madam Chancellor and Colleagues: Your Professional Practice Committee recommends, and we move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee's deliberations at its meeting on April 13, 2015, copies of which have been distributed to each Regent.

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Your Committee discussed several topics of interest, including:

Deputy Commissioner's Report/Update  

1. State Budget Items Relating to Professional Practice
2. Full Board Consent Agenda Items
   1. Board (Re)Appointments
   2. RRC Appointments

Update on Professional Discipline (Discussion) – An overview of and update on the professional discipline system, including a discussion of the process and statistical information related to the various professional discipline cases that are reviewed by the Board of Regents.

60.8 & 60.11 Physician Assistant and Special Assistant Registration Regulations(Discussion) – Conforms the regulations to Chapter 48 of the Laws of 2012, which amended the Education Law to make technical corrections in references to physician assistants; to change physician assistants' authorization to practice from “registered” to “licensed”; and to move references to and the authorization of specialist assistants from Article 131-B of the Education Law to a new Article 131-C of the Education Law.