Psychiatrist faces new disciplinary hearing in January

Ottawa psychiatrist Gerald Powell is facing another hearing next month before the discipline committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, less than three years after his licence was suspended for nine months for romantic relationships with two former patients.

At the Jan. 10 hearing, Powell will face allegations from the college’s inquiries, complaints and reports committee that he engaged in “disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct” with respect to boundary issues with his patients and billing practices.

The committee also alleges Powell is incompetent, as defined by the Health Professions Procedural Code, which says physicians should be deemed incompetent if their professional care of a patient displays a significant lack of knowledge, skill or judgment.

Powell, 59, is semi-retired and maintains a part-time practice at 339 Gilmour St. In an interview, he said the allegations against him date from 2009 and have nothing to do with his medical care, but declined to provide further details prior to the Jan. 10 hearing.

“Unfortunately, I’m just not in a position to antagonize my licensing body,” Powell said. “I really have to be careful. I have a mistrust for them and a healthy paranoia.”

If the discipline committee concludes Powell committed an act of professional misconduct, he faces penalties ranging from a fine of up to $35,000 to the revocation of his licence to practise medicine.

If found to be incompetent, his licence could be revoked or suspended or the college could impose temporary or permanent terms, conditions and limitations.

Powell, who graduated from the University of Ottawa’s medical school in 1984, was certified as a psychiatrist in 1989 by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

In February 2014, the Ontario college suspended his licence for nine months after he admitted to professional misconduct involving sexual relationships with two former patients.

He was also reprimanded, ordered to pay the college costs of $4,460 and required to complete courses on ethics and understanding boundaries with patients.

Powell began a romantic relationship with one former patient in 1998, shortly after terminating their doctor-patient relationship. It continued for between four-anda-half and five years, and the two made plans to marry.

He began a second relationship in 2004, within weeks of ending his care of another patient he’d been treating since 1995. The college became aware of the two relationships when it was notified by the first patient.

In its decision, the college’s discipline committee said it was “very concerned with Dr. Powell’s pattern of engaging in personal, sexual relationships with patients too soon after the termination of the doctor-patient relationship and with patients to whom he has provided long-term psychotherapy.”

The committee said it was a physician’s professional responsibility to maintain “appropriate boundaries” with patients and former patients. “In fact, depending on the circumstances, a sexual relationship may never be appropriate with a former psychotherapy patient,” its decision says.

Powell’s admitted behaviour, the committee said, “demonstrates a blatant disregard for the well-being of his patients” and deserved a stiff penalty to uphold the integrity of the profession and protect the public.