Previous Hearings
Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 07 Jul 2006
Summary:
On July 7, 2006, the Discipline Committee found Dr. Vaidyanathan to have committed acts of
professional misconduct with respect to failing to meet the standard of practice of the profession.
On September 20, 2006, the Discipline Committee ordered the following penalty:
1. Dr. Vaidyanathan is required to attend before the panel to be reprimanded on a date to be
fixed by the Hearings Office in conjunction with the parties no later than three months from the
date this order becomes final.
2. The Committee directs the Registrar to impose the following terms, conditions and
limitations on Dr. Vaidyanathan s certificate of registration:
(a) upon his return to practice, Dr. Vaidyanathan is restricted to performing only procedures
appropriate to an office setting and, in an institutional setting, he is restricted to performing as a
surgical assistant (meaning that Dr. Vaidyanathan may only assist other surgeons in their cases
and cannot be the primary surgeon in any case and is precluded from providing surgical care
including any post-operative care).
(b) Dr. Vaidyanathan shall practice in an office setting under a clinical supervisor, who is
acceptable to the College and who has signed an undertaking acceptable to the College, for
twelve months following the resumption of practice at his own expense. The clinical supervisor
will report quarterly to the College. Dr. Vaidyanathan will be required to meet with the
supervisor monthly, at which time the supervisor will review a representative sample of Dr.
Vaidyanathan s patient charts (to be chosen by the supervisor), and discuss them with Dr.
Vaidyanathan. Dr. Vaidyanathan is required to follow any recommendations of the clinical
supervisor.
(c) In the event that Dr. Vaidyanathan wishes to resume the full practice of
obstetrics/gynecology and have the terms, conditions and limitations in paragraph 2 removed, he
must undergo a preceptorship acceptable to the College, at his own expense, for a minimum
period of three months, with an obstetrician/gynecologist who is acceptable to the College, who
has signed an undertaking acceptable to the College. At the conclusion of the preceptorship, the
preceptor must report to the College that Dr. Vaidyanathan is, in all respects, ready to resume the
independent, operative practice of obstetrics/gynecology.
(d) If the parties cannot agree upon and consider it appropriate for the Committee to specify
more specific terms for the preceptorship, the Committee will consider written submissions from
the parties in this regard to be filed within thirty days of the date of this Order, and will impose
specific terms relating to the preceptorship.
Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Appeal: No Appeal
Hearing Date(s): Oct 07, 2005
Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 08 Sep 2001
Summary:
On September 8, 2001, the Discipline Committee found Dr. Vaidyanathan guilty of professional
misconduct with respect to failing to maintain the standard of practice of the profession,
falsifying a medical record, and engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct.
The Committee also found Dr. Vaidyanathan to be incompetent.
On November 8, 2001 the Discipline Committee ordered the following penalty:
1. Dr. Vaidyanathan appear before the Discipline Committee to be reprimanded and that the
fact of the reprimand be recorded on the Register.
2. The Registrar suspends Dr. Vaidyanathan s Certificate of Registration for a period of 24
months, beginning on the date that Dr. Vaidyanathan voluntarily agreed to completely withdraw
from practice, that being August 10, 2001.
3. Eighteen months of the 24-month suspension will be suspended if, and only if, Dr.
Vaidyanathan agrees, within 30 days of the release of this Decision, to comply with all of the
terms and conditions set out below and to satisfy the terms and conditions on or before the
18-month period of suspension expires.
(a) Dr. Vaidyanathan is referred to the Quality Assurance Committee, which Committee will
be provided with the Notice of Hearing, the Decision of the Discipline Committee, and the report
of Dr. Roth. The Quality Assurance Committee will appoint a practice supervisor to monitor Dr.
Vaidyanathan s office and hospital based practice, with emphasis on the practice areas
enumerated in sub-paragraph 3(b) below. The supervisor will monitor Dr. Vaidyanathan s
practice for a period of 6 months from the date of his return to practice or for any additional time
as may be recommended by the Quality Assurance Committee. The supervisor will report
his/her observations on Dr. Vaidyanathan s practice, including patient load, to the Quality
Assurance Committee. The parameters, duration, and frequency of supervision and the
supervisor s obligation to report to the Quality Assurance Committee will be determined by the
Quality Assurance Committee.
Dr. Vaidyanathan shall abide by, and implement forthwith, any recommendations made by the
Quality Assurance Committee. The Quality Assurance Committee may also, at its discretion,
conduct an independent peer review at any time.
(b) The Quality Assurance Committee will assess Dr. Vaidyanathan s competence through a
Specialty Assessment Program ( S.A.P. ). Such assessment should consider and address the
concerns raised in Dr. Roth s report, and focus on a general Obstetrics/Gynecology practice, with
emphasis on the diagnosis and care of the following: premature ruptured membranes; premature
labor; fetal distress/in-utero death; pregnancy-induced hypertension; and emergency obstetrical
care and management.
The S.A.P. is to be at Dr. Vaidyanathan s cost, and may occur anytime after May 10th, 2002, but
must be completed on or before March 10th, 2003. Dr. Vaidyanathan shall abide by, and
implement forthwith, any recommendations made by the S.A.P. or by the Quality Assurance
Committee. Dr. Vaidyanathan must also file proof of his successful completion of the S.A.P.,
and his successful implementation of its recommendations, if any, with the Registrar before July
10th, 2003.
(c) Dr. Vaidyanathan will return to work gradually (i.e. he is not to assume his pre
hearing caseload). Dr. Vaidyanathan must restrict his hospital practice to the hospital where he
holds an active staff appointment until the end of the suspended portion of this penalty. In the
event that Dr. Vaidyanathan should move his active staff appointment to a different hospital, he
must continue to restrict his hospital practice to one active staff appointment only during the
suspended portion of the penalty. In the event Dr. Vaidyanathan does not hold an active staff
appointment, he may obtain temporary privileges (locum tenens) provided he only works at no
more than two hospitals at any given period of time through until the end of the suspended
portion of the penalty.
Dr. Vaidyanathan will confirm his compliance with this restriction by providing the Quality
Assurance Committee with written confirmation of such compliance upon his return to practice
and every 4 months thereafter.
(d) Dr. Vaidyanathan will attend (at his cost, if any) and successfully complete courses
acceptable to the Registrar, on Stress Management and Time Management . These courses
must be completed, and Dr. Vaidyanathan must provide the Registrar with evidence of his
successful completion of the courses on or before July 10, 2003.
Dr. Vaidyanathan will refer himself to a psychiatrist acceptable to the registrar within 30
days from the release of this Decision. Dr. Vaidyanathan must receive psychiatric treatment on a
regular basis (at the discretion of the treating psychiatrist) for a period of at least six (6) months,
or for such additional time as Dr. Vaidyanathan s psychiatrist deems necessary.
At his first appointment, Dr. Vaidyanathan shall provide the psychiatrist with a copy of the
Amended Notice of Hearing, (Exhibit 1), the report of Dr. Roth (Exhibit 3), and a copy of the
Discipline Committee s Decision and Reasons for Decision in this case. An undertaking from
the psychiatrist, in the form attached hereto, shall be obtained and filed with the Registrar,
acknowledging the psychiatrist s responsibilities.
The psychiatrist shall provide the College with a written report on Dr. Vaidyanathan s condition
within six (6) months of the first appointment. The report should address whether further
treatment is necessary. If treatment is continued, the psychiatrist will continue to report to the
College at six (6) month intervals,.
4. Any costs relating to the implementation of this order, including costs of preparing
reports, which are not covered by OHIP, shall be paid by Dr. Vaidyanathan within thirty days of
Dr. Vaidyanathan s receipt of the relevant invoice.
5. In the event Dr. Vaidyanathan elects not to return to practice after the 6 month period of
suspension, (i.e. if he elects not to comply with the terms and conditions in paragraph 3 above in
order to suspend 18 months of the 24 month suspension) then Dr. Vaidyanathan shall
immediately, and in no event later than Thursday, February 28, 2002, notify the Registrar of his
decision, whereupon the Registrar shall, and is hereby directed to, impose the terms and
conditions enumerated in paragraph 3 above as terms, conditions and limitations on Dr.
Vaidyanathan s certificate of registration. Dr. Vaidyanathan shall comply with those terms,
conditions and limitations upon his return to practice, and they shall remain on his certificate of
registration until satisfied.
6. Dr. Vaidyanathan shall pay to the College costs in the amount of $12,500 within a period
of eight (8) months following the day that Dr. Vaidyanathan returns to practice or within twelve
(12) months from the day following the last day of the license suspension, whichever first occurs.
7. In the event that Dr. Vaidyanathan breaches or fails to fulfill any one of the foregoing
conditions, his certificate of registration shall immediately be suspended until such time as the
conditions are fulfilled.
Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Appeal: Appeal Abandoned
Appeal Decision Date: 15 Dec 2001
Hearing Date(s): Aug 15, 2001