HOW TO REPORT SEX ABUSE BY YOUR DOCTOR
If you have been sexually abused by your doctor, here’s what you should know:
This newspaper’s investigation of physician sexual misconduct found that one patient’s report of abuse often leads others to come forward with similar allegations. Here are several options for patients who suspect their doctors of sexual improprieties:
• Police: Call your local police or sheriff’s department to report a sexual or physical assault.
• State medical board: These agencies may revoke a doctor’s license or take other disciplinary action. Boards in some states won’t accept anonymous reports or don’t take complaints online.
• Hospital or clinic affiliated with the doctor: Hospitals may have a formal process to investigate complaints of misconduct at their facilities. Patients may also report doctors to their medical group practice or clinic, many of whom have a human resources administrator or medical director.
• Advocacy organizations: Groups such as SNAP, a network of survivors of institutional sexual abuse, offer advocacy and support for victims. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helps patients report sexual abuse to authorities and take legal action.
• Rape crisis centers: The National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-4673) directs victims to law enforcement or to health facilities for exams.
How can I know if my doctor has sexually abused patients?
Patients may find it difficult to learn if their doctor has been accused
In an era when intimate information about almost anyone is just a few keystrokes away, finding out whether a doctor has a history of sexual misconduct or other offenses can be remarkably difficult. Medical licensing agencies sometimes reprimand doctors in confidential proceedings, public documents may obscure the details of a physician’s transgression, or records of disciplinary cases may not be posted online.
With those caveats in mind, here are four ways to learn more about a doctor’s qualifications and background:
• State medical authorities: These agencies license medical professionals, investigate complaints about physician misconduct, and levy penalties. Most states offer online tools to determine whether a doctor has a disciplinary record.
• The national Federation of State Medical Boards provides a free search tool — www.docinfo.org — that directs users to state medical boards that have files on specific physicians.
• HealthGrades.com: This free website collects data on doctors’ board certifications, malpractice claims, disciplinary actions and other information. Reports are more complete on doctors who practice in states where medical boards publish more material online.
• Internet search: Doctors who have been accused of abusing patients may be the subject of news reports or social media posts. In some states, court records or police reports also may turn up.
In 2009, Butler County was rocked by the indictment of twin physicians on multiple charges, including having sexual contact with young patients and paying them to remain quiet.
Drs. R. Scott and Mark Blankenburg, now 60, are currently serving prison terms at Belmont Correctional Institution in St. Clair, Ohio. But until their indictment, they were successful pediatricians with patients in Hamilton and Fairfield. They also spent hours on the sidelines at high school games, taking pictures of young athletes.
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R. Scott Blankenburg is currently serving a 13-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in January 2010 as part of plea bargain to eight counts counts, including compelling prostitution, two counts of bribery, pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and complicity to deception to obtain a dangerous drug. One of the charges involved a former patient.
The sentence handed down by Butler County Common Pleas Judge Noah Powers ended more than two years of investigation and countless hearings involving former patients and local athletes. It came less than a week after his twin brother and fellow pediatrician, Dr. Mark Blankenburg, was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison on similar charges.
The judge granted a stay on the prison sentence for the second twin to be convicted so that he could close up the once-thriving practice and turn over files to patients. R. Scott Blankenburg showed up for prison promptly on Feb. 15, 2010.
Mark Blankenburg was sentenced to 21 to 27 years in prison for molesting three former patients, and for other charges stemming from money and drugs he paid the victims for years to keep quiet. Both men were also classified as Tier II offenders.
State appeals of Mark Blankenburg’s convictions have been denied, but a federal appeal is pending alleging juror bias and issues with specifics that were not included in the charges.
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