Dialogue Volume 12 Issue 1 2016 | Page 38

discipline summaries Dr. GREGORY JOHN JUN TUNG LOWE Practice Location: Toronto Practice Area: Internal Medicine Hearing Information: Agreed Statement of Facts, Admission, Joint Submission on Penalty, Agreed Statement of Facts on Penalty On April 8, 2015, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Lowe committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he has engaged in conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional. Dr. Lowe admitted that he breached an undertaking entered into with the College on November 19, 2012, by failing to complete an educational program in communications facilitated by the College. In June 2011, the College received information from Dr. X, Chief of Staff, stating that he had suspended Dr. Lowe’s hospital privileges. The suspension arose out of staff concerns regarding Dr. Lowe’s communications and conduct. As a result, the College commenced an investigation into Dr. Lowe’s practice. The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) directed the negotiation of an undertaking that addressed their concerns about Dr. Lowe’s conduct and communication skills. In the undertaking, signed November 19, 2012, Dr. Lowe agreed “to participate in and successfully complete”: (a) an educational program in communications facilitated by the College, to be completed within six months; and (b) the “Crucial Conversations” course offered by the OMA’s Physician Workplace Support Program on December 17 and 18, 2012. Dr. Lowe attended the “Crucial Conversations” course on the dates he committed to in the undertaking. Following its completion, a College compliance monitor wrote to Dr. Lowe to provide him with the details of the College’s communications course with Dr. Y (Ph D). She informed him that he was “required to attend two individualized Physician-Patient 38 Dialogue Issue 1, 2016 Communication educational 3-4 hour sessions with Dr. Y…and one follow-up `reinforcement’ session approximately three months after your final educational session…” In February 2013, Dr. Y informed the College compliance monitor that Dr. Lowe had still not contacted her to enrol in the sessions. Dr. Y also experienced problems in setting up appointments with Dr. Lowe. When Dr. Y responded to Dr. Lowe’s request for dates, he did not reply. Dr. Y also informed the compliance monitor that Dr. Lowe failed to show up for his scheduled appointment with her in June 2013. In September 2013, Dr. Lowe was advised that his failure to comply with the order that he attend the College’s communications course would be considered by the ICRC. Subsequently, the ICRC referred allegations of professional misconduct to the Discipline Committee. In November 2014, Dr. Y informed the College that Dr. Lowe had completed three, two-hour sessions. The only outstanding se