RI Media Doctor Suspended for 5 Years By RI Department of Health - 4th Disciplinary Action

RI Media Doctor Suspended for 5 Years By RI Department of Health - 4th Disciplinary Action

The Rhode Island Department of Health has taken disciplinary action against Dr. Stephen Petteruti for the 4th time in the past two decades — this time he has surrendered his license for five years.

Over the years Petteruti has been disciplined for having sex with a patient, improperly prescribing Oxycodone, ordering unnecessary tests, and false advertising claims. 

The most recent consent decree signed by Petteruti and the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline paves the way, once again, for him to recover his license early if he takes certain actions. While the Department of Health suspended his license for five years, the state agency gave him "120 days" to serve, with the remaining 56 months on probation. The order was signed on October 10, 2019.

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Petturuti has hosted radio shows on WPRO, has had pay-to-play appearances on WPRI’s The Rhode Show, and most recently hosted a show on social media.

Combined, the State of Rhode Island’s disciplinary agreements and enforcement actions against Petteruti total about 100 pages.

The most recent disciplinary action, according to the Department of Health, is tied to false claims he made on WPRO and on the internet, unprofessional conduct, and failure to meet minimum standards.

The Investigative Committee found Respondent violated R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-37-5.1(2), which defines "unprofessional conduct" as including "[a} ll advertising of medical business, which is intended or has a tendency to deceive the public."

Specifically, "The Investigative Committee found Respondent violated 216-RICR-20-20-4.4(F), relative to "Written Patient Treatment Agreement," which provides: Chronic pain patients who receive opioid medication(s) shall have a written patient treatment agreement which shall become part of their medical record. This written agreement may be started at any point, at the practitioner's discretion, based on individual patient history and risk, however, no later than after ninety (90) days of treatment with an opioid medication. The written agreement shall be signed between, at a minimum, the practitioner and the patient (or their proxy)."

The committee found "unprofessional conduct" as including, "[i] incompetent, negligent, or willful misconduct in the practice of medicine which includes the rendering of medically unnecessary services, and any departure from, or the failure to conform to, the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing practice in his or her area of expertise as is determined by the board."

The Investigative Committee found Respondent violated 216-RICR-20-20-4.4(G), relative to "Periodic Review," 

In the agreement between the state and Petteruti, "Respondent's [Petteruti] license to practice medicine is suspended for five years, 120 days to serve, minus the number of days Respondent has already been summarily suspended, as of the Ratification of this Order. The remaining 56 months of Respondent's suspension shall be stayed throughout the Probationary Period on the condition that Respondent fully comply with this Consent Order and abide by all applicable laws and regulations relative to the practice of medicine in Rhode Island."

Petteruti faces numerous other conditions to regain his license including, "Respondent shall engage at his own expense a Board-approved monitor for a period of five years from Respondent's return to clinical practice. The monitor shall monthly review and approve all electronic, print and pre-recorded advertisements involving medical claims for five years to ensure that there are no guarantees, promises, or claims without evidence base. Respondent is subject to existing laws regarding advertising that is conducted "live" and or in 'real time.'"   

 

Petteruti's Response to Latest Action

Petteruti says the process has been difficult.

“It’s all been a bit exhausting. My objective is to try and understand the Department of Health's perspective and that of some of my critics. I want to get along with the larger medical community, [but] what we do is different than a lot of mainstream medicine. The Department of Health has not objected to the manner we choose to practice, they took issue with the delivery and the way it was communicated,” said Petteruti in a phone interview with GoLocal.

Petteruti, who runs an IV "drip bar" for vitamins and nutrient therapy in Warwick tells GoLocal, "The higher public exposure I pursued was done to make people aware of what we’re doing, so those who wanted to choose it could do so. But with higher exposure brings higher scrutiny — there's a bigger community I’m operating within."

"I’m aware that I’m on everyone’s radar screen — in a good and bad way. If you look at our website, we have 5-star reviews, but we just can’t review our accolades. The safest thing for me would have been to go quiet [following the suspension], go to Florida and just golf. But I’m staying in this field and what I’m finding is remarkable, and the way it can treat people is extraordinary. If I have that knowledge and I don’t act on — that’s a violation on its own," said Petteruti on Thursday night.

 

Sex with Patient

The violations he has been cited for include having sex with a patient. 

In 1997, the Department of Health’s disciplinary council suspended Petteruti’s license for 6 months, according to DOH records.

According to the disciplinary documents, “The Respondent and the patient engaged in a consensual sexual relationship after a series of meetings outside the office. During the time period that this matter was under investigation, the Board learned that the Respondent [Petteruti] had engaged in boundary violations with two other patients during the same time period. The Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline finds the Respondent guilty of "unprofessional conduct" for violating §5-37-5 .1 ( 30) for sexual contact between a doctor and a patient during the existence of the doctor/patient relationship."

 

 

Improperly Prescribing Oxycodone and Other Drugs

In 2012, Petteruti was suspended from prescribing controlled substances, after an investigation into his writing improper prescriptions for drugs including Oxycodone, Diazepam, and Adderall.

According to the disciplinary documents, Petteruti, was found to have written six separate prescriptions for one family member (using that family member's maiden name which is different from his own), between October 12 and December 12, 2011. According to the Department of Health, the prescriptions were for Oxycodone, Hydromorphone, Diazepam, and Zofran.

Board of Pharmacy investigators served a subpoena for medical records for two family members and Dr. Petteruti himself and found no evidence of any medical examination relating to these prescriptions.

Petteruti stated to the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline in July of 2012 that he did physically evaluate the family member/patient prior to prescribing medication and "he stated that he observed the patient's response to all medications and monitored for any side effects," according to documents from the department. Petteruti also "asserted that the prescriptions 'for a brief period of time were not inappropriate.'"

Petteruti also admitted in July that he prescribed Adderall for another family member on one occasion. He said he was "aware of the family member's full medical history and observed his [response] to the prescribed medication."

 

Unnecessary Medical Tests

In November of 2016, the disciplinary board found "Respondent [Petteruti] has violated Rhode Island General Laws §5-37-5.1(19) .... the rendering of medically unnecessary services.”  In that action, Petteruti agreed to a reprimand, paying $1,750, and continuing education classes.

 

Today's Claims

Today, Petteruti's marketing materials promote his unique approach. On his site he writes:

“Like you, I was once frustrated with current trends in healthcare like bureaucratic demands and financial hassle. Science was advancing more rapidly than the practice of medicine and I knew there had to be a better way. That’s why I created “Intellectual Medicine 120”.

My vision was a practice with no health insurance limits. One that was fully cash-based. One that gives you the freedom to practice the type of medicine you always wanted. One that allows you to earn income far beyond your current level. I envisioned a practice that incorporated anti-aging therapy, the most advanced intravenous support, weight loss, and aesthetics—all into one patient satisfying, profit generating center. That vision is now a reality and this is your chance to be a part of it.

This is a rare moment in medical history. Now is your time to act. After learning about the Intellectual Medicine franchises, you will have two choices: continue complaining about medicine as it is, or stake your claim in a new style of practice that will give you and your patients a lifetime of satisfaction.

"I wish this was all over last week, but it's up to the Department of Health," Petteruti said following the latest suspension. "I’m following the path in front of me. One of the ways you survive hardship is lowering the site line to the step right in front of you. The drip bar is still open and running — and I give credit to the Department of Health's openness in that regard — this really is a new norm for people to choose to pursue."

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version referred to Petteruti as Richard and not Stephen.