Friday, March 27, 2009

HPARB rejects complaint

HPARB (Health Professions Appeal and Review Board), Ontario's agency that listens to public complaints about the shortcomings of the various regulatory bodies for health professionals has rejected a complaint that was filed against the CPSO (College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario) way back in 2006. The original complaint from a medical doctor in Ontario back in November 2006 went nowhere. It was appealed to HPARB and sat on their desk for months until April 11, 2008 when the appeal was heard before three members of their Board.

The case # 9050 - There is no record of this anywhere in any Canadian legal database. We don't know why.

HPARB sat on it until March 23, 2009 to render a decision. If you want to see a full copy of their decision contact us directly.

Here is what they had to say:

"..the Board confirms the decision of the Complaints Committee to take no further action in relation to the complaint, but recommends that the College consider whether a licensed family physician whose practice is cosmetic medicine be required to use, when set forth credentials, clear language to convey that he or she is a licensed as a family physician."

This basically lets Yazdanfar off the hook. She is still basically practicing as she was before, with only minor changes to her own web site.

In April 2007 the CPSO initiated a new policy called the Cosmetic Procedures Initiative: Steps to Improve Patient Safety - Implementation of four-point plan to ensure public safety.

You can follow the links to various efforts that they have made. Whether or not anybody is going to be taken to task for not complying is yet to be seen.

One of these is from the Council Updates in April 2008.

"Council approved regulation amendments that will require physicians to be clear and accurate about their credentials and training in their advertising and other communications with patients."


Did Yazdanfar do anything to adhere to these updates?

She and her husband continue to operate their TCC and issue press releases as if nothing has happened. She still says this about herself:

"Dr. Behnaz Yazdanfar is a premier Toronto doctor based in North York, Ontario, Canada. Leading a dedicated and professional staff at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic, she focuses on surgical and non-surgical cosmetic surgery procedures, having performed cosmetic procedures since the year 2000. She frequently performs breast augmentation and liposuction, as well as several other aesthetic procedures."

Of course there is no mention of Krista Stryland or the lawsuit.

If you are upset about this, talk to your MPP to the Ontario legislature. HPARB has basically rubber-stamped whatever the CPSO did. The public has no redress.