Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida (CCHR Florida)

Sun Sentinel

FloriDUH

Weird, wacky, strange news from the Sunshine State

Psychologist accused of bigamy after marrying a patient

By Barbara Hijek

August 24, 2010

Jeffrey Lynn Benoit former Florida State Psychologist

Jeffrey Lynn Benoit, a former Florida State Hospital psychologist, is accused of having sexual relations with a patient he was treating there, then marrying her while he was still married to someone else, reports the Jackson County Floridian in Marianna. (more…)

Florida Times Union

Orange Park psychologist fined, suspended – again – for sexual misconduct with abuse patient

Sexual comments to abuse victims, fines and citations fill his past.

August 16, 2010

By Dan Scanlan

An Orange Park psychologist has been reprimanded, suspended and fined $5,000 after being cited with sexual misconduct and failure to meet minimum standards following bizarre comments to a 2008 patient who saw him for help with childhood sexual abuse, according to Florida Department of Health documents.

The Aug. 5 final order follows similar state actions against Johann Nicholas Prewett in the past five years for behavior and comments to other patients at his office at 1727 Kingsley Ave., according to the state.

Prewett, 55, could not be reached for comment. His office number was disconnected and no home telephone number could be found.

The current case dates back to sessions in 2008 with a woman being treated for childhood abuse. Prewett asked her if he should “cancel the appointment because he was so distracted by the way she looked,” according to the case document. He told her he wanted to “jump her bones,” adding that most girls who are sexual abuse victims are basically “nuns or whores” and she was in the “nun stage,” the document says. (more…)

As stated in our March 2, 2010 post, DSM V, fifth edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is being worked on by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for release in 2013.  The new categories and diagnosis being considered are not only useless, but harmful.  Dr. Irwin Feinberg and Dr. Allen Frances agree.  In an article published by The UBM Medica Psychiatric Time, Dr. Feinberg analogizes,

“A vital consideration we learn in medicine is that continuing life support for a moribund (being at the point of death) patient past a certain point is harmful to the lives of all concerned. We have reached that point with DSM5. (more…)

Psych News
Psychologist agrees to cease practicing
By Ken Kramer

Jun 1st, 2010

In a case that gained national notoriety, a Tampa psychologist, Daniel R. Lerom, has relinquished his license.

According to an administrative complaint filed by the Department of Health, Lerom had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female patient. Throughout their sexual relationship, Lerom regulary asked the patient to give him her prescription drugs. He also billed her insurance company for the sexual encounters.

In January, the Department of Health filed an emergency suspension order on Lerom’s license.

The patient filed a lawsuit against Lerom in Hillsborough County Court, but further records are unavailable as the case is now sealed.

Lerom voluntarily agreed to cease practicing psychology in Florida and also agreed to never reapply for a Florida healthcare license.

Sex with a patient is a felony in Florida.

Lakeland Ledger

Psychologist Agrees to Give Up License to Avoid Disciplinary Action Involving Sexual Harassment

June 1, 2010

A Tampa psychologist has relinquished his license to practice in Florida to avoid further state disciplinary action involving an accusation he had sex with a Lakeland woman he counseled.

Daniel R. Lerom also was accused of billing the woman’s insurance company for “specialty consult” sessions at times when those trysts were suspected to have occurred.

He was also accused of repeatedly asking for, and getting, prescription pain medicines from her.

The state suspended his license in January.

In giving up his psychology license, Lerom agreed never to apply for a license to practice a health-care profession licensed by the Florida Department of Health.

The story on the Florida psychiatrist (sentenced to 16 years yesterday) so far appears on over 130 newspaper sites and also in Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Korea and the Philippines.

Jerome Feldman, Former Psychiatrist

  (more…)

Miami Herald
Florida suspends Miami psychiatrist in boy’s overdose death

State health administrators have suspended the license of a Miami psychiatrist who treated a disabled preteen boy who died of overmedication.

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER

May 13, 2010

Denis Maltez, left, poses for a picture in the park

Health News Florida
‘Emergency’ action took 4 yrs.
By Carol Gentry

May 10, 2010

Four years ago, the Department of Health was warned that psychiatrist Steven L. Kaplan was dangerously overmedicating children, state records show. DOH got around to filing an “emergency” suspension of Kaplan last week, three years too late for one little boy.

Denis Maltez and mother, Martha

(more…)

Pharmalot

The Pfizer Geodon Trial And Physician Mishaps

By Ed Silverman
April 28, 2010

Florida Psychiatrist Sohail Punjwani

Earlier this month, the FDA sent Pfizer a warning letter for failing to properly monitor pediatric clinical trials in which at least 13 children with bipolar disorder experienced overdosing that led to restless legs, tremors, involuntary facial movements and a serious skin disorder. (more…)

Miami Herald

State let danger linger after foster kid’s drug death
By FRED GRIMM

Apr 21, 2010

Note the date – July 17, 2006. Denis Maltez, a 67-pound wisp confined to a state-licensed group home, suffered the debilitating effects of his startling drug cocktail.

He was ferried over to Miami Children’s Hospital for emergency services.

Aug. 4, 2006. This time, the severely autistic boy was taken to Baptist Hospital, vomiting, dehydrated, bleeding from his gums. Baptist doctors cite his regime of powerful prescription drugs.

Oct. 26, 2006. A teacher reports sleeping, shaking, trembling. Suspects overmedication. (more…)

Denis Martez and mother, Martha Quesada

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office attributed the death to a life-threatening side effect of over-medication. In his deposition, Maltez’s psychiatrist Dr. Steven Kaplan said he is not responsible for Denis’ death. “I don’t believe he died of anything that I did,” he said.

Miami Herald

Controversial Miami psychiatrist dropped from Medicaid program State health administrators have terminated a controversial Miami psychiatrist from the state’s insurance program for disabled and needy children. (more…)