Alberta doctor guilty of ‘sexual touching,’ can still see patients
Posted Sep 16, 2023 1:07 pm.
Last Updated Sep 16, 2023 1:10 pm.
A southern Alberta doctor has been found guilty of carrying out a sexual act with a patient, but he will still be allowed to see patients.
In a ruling from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) Friday, Dr. Ian Gebhardt of Medicine Hat has been found guilty of “inappropriate sexual touching.”
“After reviewing the evidence and hearing from several witnesses, the Tribunal determined the patient’s testimony was credible and found Dr. Gebhardt guilty of unprofessional conduct for breaching CPSA’s standard of practice on sexual boundaries,” a statement reads.
“Since the offence occurred before the implementation of An Act to Protect Patients, Dr. Gebhardt is not subject to the mandatory sanctions for healthcare providers who are found guilty of sexual abuse.”
A 65-page document details how a disabled, suggestible patient levelled accusations of sexual abuse by Gebhardt during a checkup in 2017.
But despite the guilty finding, Gebhardt can still see patients, at least for now, but must do so with a college-approved chaperone.
The regulatory body says the decision satisfies its duty to protect the public.
And while sanctions are not mandatory now, Gebhardt, who has been practicing in Medicine Hat since 2007, could still lose his permit during a sanction hearing set for 2024 on Feb. 7 and 8.
Sanctions can include loss of a practice permit and fines.
“CPSA can advise Dr. Gebhardt has appealed the guilty finding, however no appeal dates will be set by our Hearings Director Office until the Tribunal has made a decision on sanction,” the statement reads.
He’s also facing charges in historical sexual assault cases dating back to the 1980s in the York region of Ontario. Those charges came down in 2021.
But reports state Crown prosecutors stayed the case after contradictory testimony appeared in court.
However, the CPSA brought conduct hearings back to the table in 2022 after two more similar charges in Ontario came to light in January of that year.
