AUGUSTA, Maine — A Portland neurologist was warned and placed on probation this week for engaging in unprofessional conduct while treating an adolescent patient, according to a press release Wednesday from the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine.
John A Boothby, M.D. was placed on probation and given a warning by the board through a Consent Agreement signed on Feb. 14.
In December 2010 the board received a complaint that Boothby acted in an unprofessional manner by being rude, condescending and throwing a tissue box at a patient who was crying. During the investigation, Boothby admitted he might have told the patient to stop crying in an inappropriate way and that he may have been “emotional” in his discussion with the patient and his parent.
Boothby also admitted he tossed the box of tissues onto the patient’s lap. Boothby previously was issued a Letter of Guidance on Oct. 12, 2010 based on a complaint alleging rudeness to a patient.
Boothby admitted the board has sufficient evidence to reasonably conclude that he engaged in unprofessional conduct, and during his probation, the doctor must attend classes in medical ethics, boundaries and patient communication.
All Board disciplinary actions are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, the Health Integrity and Protection Data Bank, and the Federation of State Medical Boards Action Data Bank. These reports are regularly reviewed by every state licensing board in the country.
The Board of Licensure in Medicine is the state agency charged to protect the health and welfare of the public by verifying the qualifications of physicians to practice, and disciplining physicians for unprofessional conduct and incompetence.
I have visions of R. Lee Ermey and his GEICO commercial in my head after reading this story.
Perhaps this $300.00 hour doc will claim that he was brainwashed by GEICO. You are dead on!
$300 an hour? No, it’s more than that. I just had an appointment with a neurologist. The whole visit was 15 minutes. The bill was $300 exactly.
That explains the tears!
One of the all-time classic commercials!!!
That’s EXACTLY what I thought of when I read the headline! lol
Jackwagon!
I’m old, live in the woods alone,also not to much schoolhouse. Request clarification of jackwagon. Tks.
Here you go Perly, you will see what they are talking about after you watch the commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaFy0x_Uixo
Thanks Mikey. It’s a funny one.. Jackwagon must be a Marine Corps thing. In Uncle Sam’s US Army in the 60’s, I was a mother something or other. I love reading the comments!!!!!! Subject: [bdn] Re: Portland neurologist on probation after throwing tissue box at crying patient
HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHA
Love that commercial!!!! Best ever!! …mamby pamby hahahahah
I didn’t even remember what product R. Lee was pitching – I thought it was an anti-Nambi Pamby ad. Crybaby.
Manby Panby
That was a commercial!(a funny one) but we all knew what Lee Emory was about! What this “Jackwagon did was inexcusable. Had he thrown a box of tissues at my kid for whatever reason, he would have “Eaten” said box of tissues.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if it happened at EMMC! It wouldn’t even have been considered unprofessional or unusual…
It is ironic that I read your comment, up until yesterday I had very pleasant experiences with EMMC docs. I had a very rude and unprofessional experience yesterday and the complaint has already been issued. I’m anxious now after reading your comment what will come of it. I’m hoping they don’t over look the complaint these docs need to realize we pay their salaries and we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
Sorry to hear about your experience. Good luck with your complaint, but historically they cover things up well at the Miracle Center. Don’t be afraid to hire an attorney.
Thank you!! And I do know a lawyer that handles medical suites and will be calling them if need be!
Well that’s great. So if you don’t get the response you desire from EMMC about your complaint you’ll sue the offending Dr? I’m not condoning rude or unprofessional behavior from a doctor and I think it sucks that you were treated poorly, but even considering legal action for a “rude and unprofessional experience” is one of the reasons insurance premiums are so high. Make a complaint that will go into this Dr’s medical ethics record and leave it at that. Save the lawsuits for the truly harmed patients.
Call 1-800-INO-COPE and just say “I’m offended!” (insert Joe Bornstein commercial “BONG!” here).
Great points. People seem to miss the point that frivolous lawsuits not only drive up health care costs, but they make it that much harder for someone with a legitmate claim to win a suit for serious things like amputating the wrong limb.
The article doesn’t mention a lawsuit against the doctor. Looks like the patient or family simply reported him to the licensing board.
I was facetiously referring to the post above mine. :)
Oops–sorry!
You are not condoning his behavior? Yes, you in fact, are.
That’s absolute nonsense. Saying, in effect, that an unhappy patient shouldn’t bring a frivolous lawsuit does not amount to condoning rude behavior.
So, you have decided it is frivilous? So, you condone it too.
No, I have not decided it’s frivilous. I’ve decided it’s frivolous. I’m not condoning it either, but if you keep this up, I’m going to say I condone it just to stop your nonsensical replies about condoning.
You must make a living off of frivolous lawsuits.
Tossing the tissues we do not know all the facts.
No, in fact, I’m not condoning this doctors behavior. If you follow the posts, I was commenting on SOMEONE ELSE’S troubles with a recent doctor visit. Do I have a problem with doctors treating their patients in an unprofessional manner? Yes, I do. However I have an even BIGGER problem when people bring lawsuits when they have a personality conflict with their doctor, or worse…… their feelings get hurt. Please!! Pull up your big boy/girl pants and move on. No one says you HAVE to stay with a particular doctor, fire him/her if you were treated poorly.
Yes, you, and others here, are condoning what that Dr. did. We are not dealing with a plumber, carpenter or mechanic here. We are dealing with a man who has years of training in healing. He abused his patient, a mere child, because he was having a bad day. Tough noogies for him! He should be disbarred from practicing medicine because he has no heart. It is not a frivilous suit. If his patient didn’t bring suit, he would still be abusing other sick children. The Dr. was a mean skunk. Dr.s are held to a higher standard than a pool hall operator. He should face a court of his peers because he is a mean person. Frivilous my left patootie. How else will he be stopped?
See my other post No one was Sued . But I would not be alive today If mother would have took what the rude Doctor told her . I feel this man should have lost his JOB . People are sue crazy today. It dose not mean that some doctors should not be disbarred . Just we as a society need to use common sense about what real issues are.
It’s all about the deep pocket theory, isn’t it? Someone is trying to line their pocket.
If you know an attorney that will take that “suite” than you know someone either incompetent or desperate. There is no cause of action for being “rude”. Tell me, what are your damages? Your feelings get hurt for 5 minutes? No attorney is going to want 1/3 of that award even if you could prevail.
My guess is you either know no attorney or you have never actually discussed medical malpractice with anyone that understands the term. Most likely of all, you just watch too much Judge Judy. Whatever the case, you are full of BS.
There’s no point in hiring a lawyer just because a doctor was rude and unprofessional.
At EMMC, you have the right to shut up and die.
You have to fight like hell for them to let you LIVE.
So true David! I would would rather die on their freaking doorstep than have anyone in that hole touch me!
So true, almost time to start hearing from the WHINY UNION again!
OMG BOOHOO, Someone was rude, now I want to complain! Get over it and next time you want to cry and issue a formal complaint because someone is rude to you, ask yourself what would my dad think? I found that being rude in return is much more satisfying. Now feel free to be rude to me :)
Times have changed In the 70s I was as a child I was In a bad accident. One Dr. at EMMC was telling my mother what a selfish mother she was because she wanted me to live . He told her If he just did nothing that I would die My mother would not take that for an answer got another Dr. who did everything he could. Well I have No disablities except spelling lol I have been a productive member of society Never on state help. And take good care of my son. How times have changed.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY DOC !
a rude doctor who would think it
Just as in any profession there are good and bad doctors. And we all have bad days from time to time. The story really doesn’t give a sense of whether or not this guy has a habit of being a jerk. At least the Board of Licensure is doing something.
This guy has a history believe me
This tell of nothing of why he tossed the tissues . Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Maybe unfounded whining not wanting to be an enabler Who Knows what really took place.
Understandable, but he threw the tissues at a child.
How old was this child? What was this child doing? Yes he may have made bad judgement I do not know all the facts. I am not defending him but like most things in the paper we do not know what really took place.
If he was a Democrat child, he could be as old as 26.
I like it.
That’s a good thought–a young person with a serious neurological condition who is able to get medical treatment at age 26, under a parent’s policy, because of President Obama’s change in the law.
David, another way to look at it is if it was reversed. If a patient threw a box of tissues on a doctor the patient could face felony charges for assault on a medical care provider. But good questions and statements.
This doctor is a neurologist. They deal with some very complex issues so I’m sure this patient is dealing with something very stressful like possibly MS, or a brain disorder, etc… There is no excuse for this behavior no matter what kind of day the doctor had. BTW…I work in the health care field and you do not take things out on the patients!!!
What a mean thing to do to a crying patient. Sorry, the hospital is not a fun place especially for a child and then to have a grown up throw something at you? No, this guy wasn’ t having a bad day, he’s just mean. Period. Nothing worse than a dr with a god-complex.
Sorry, Mcdonalds workers have bad days, cab drivers, teachers etc, making a 6 figure salary, c’mon, I’d be walking around with a perma smile.
hmmm so a person making a 6 figure salary can’t possibly be going through anything whatsoever wrong in thier personal life?? People with six figure salaries don’t suffer family problems or divorce or any other social crisis??? Money buys absolute contentment and happiness… What I would’nt give to live in your world… What color are the clouds there, just curious??
I work in the health care profession and one of your first lessons is your personal life is not to affect your work your supposed to leave it all at home and put on that nothing is wrong. When people are at the doctors no matter what the issue is health care professionals are to treat them with dignity and respect if they are being seen for a in grown toe nail or a heart attack it doesn’t matter. So for this doctor to act that way is unacceptable, but at least he did admit to acting in an unprofessional manner. I’m not saying he wasn’t having a bad day, but it’s not supposed to affect his work.
Totally agree with you. Advice that I got from one my of doctor’s years ago was that if a doctor does not treat you right, yells at you/abuses you – fire them!
I have met a few rude doctors in my day, and I also didn’t give them a second chance to act rude to me again. I am out of here.
Professionals leave their problems at home.
I’m not going to excuse what he did in any way, but really – “No, this guy wasn’ t having a bad day, he’s just mean. Period.”
You are now a soothsayer I guess. That’s right no other possible conclusions, he’s mean period, he couldn’t possible have had a terrible day and lost it with regret. Period.
So, therefore, he got censured. He deserved it.
Jack-wagon!
Jackwagon
WELCOME TO MAMBY PAMBY LAND!
lol!
Time for a new line of work for this fellow!! Once in October a complaint was issued … and now another … ?? Dr Boothby, maybe you should consider doing something else where it is okay
to throw things at your customer …
Just might be a new type of therapy. Beat up on the crying patient.
Wow, I had a doctor LIE to me, violate informed consent laws (the results of which I will live with forever) and then he lied to the Board of Licensure and they did nothing…throw a box of tissues and you get a formal reprimand. Good job BOLIM in protecting the people of Maine from imcompetent MD’s.
You should have persued him. Go get him!
Sounds like this doctor is a little stressed on the job. Find a new profession
Sounds exactly like a certain eye doctor who used to practice in Dover-Foxcroft.
Sounds like Wilbanks and Johnson. Both are rude, crude and objectionable. Constantly late and could care less.
Too much stress from Obamacare got to him.
You seem to be the one stressed from “Obamacare”.
Bill doesn’t seem stressed at all……
Good thing you are not a doctor…LOL..
Tough love, who cares.
Some hospitals in Maine don’t even have a neurologist on staff or available. My family would have taken a rude if comepetent one a few years ago.
Funny!
Makes me think of the Bob Newhart skit on Mad TV;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLMTvxOaeE
I wonder if this doctor will record my next ring-tone. The drill sergeant one I currently use is getting old.
Having been the victim of questionable behavior by a medical professional, I can say with absolute certainty that it can have a pretty profound impact. My orthodontist humiliated me on my first visit (I was 10 or 11, female, not a good age/gender combo for humiliation). Then I had to visit that bastard for the next few years of my life. Sure as hell was not the highlight of my childhood, but what is it they say? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?
Bwahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!
I was abused by the medical profession. I went to a dentist and he pulled a tooth out of my head.
Glad you didn’t have hemorrhoids.
Throw the Tea Party a Paper Mill !
Tax Whiners!
Are you talking about the doctor or the crying patient?
Maybe the Tea Partiers whine about taxes, but Occupy members are passed that stage. They throw tantrums, loot, and get violent because they can’t always have their way with the voters.
Doc find another profession or go into research.
I am not going to defend this doc’s actions, but would ask for some restraint in judgement. We don’t know WHY he acted the way he did. No there is no EXCUSE for this kind of behavior, but likely there was a REASON. I was just at an appointment where I could say the doctor was rude (and I might have been a little less than my best) and after a heated discussion, we totally understood each others’ points of view. I think I might even like the guy enough to keep him as my personal physician. It turned out we both wanted exactly the same thing (for me) just came from totally opposite perspectives in getting to the same place.
Not sure if you’ve had an appointment with this guy but it doesn’t sound like it. I had one appointment with him and he was completely off the wall rude, and unprofessional. So it’s not a one time occurrence for him. There is no way a physician should behave in that manner and as soon as I read the headline I thought to myself I bet it’s Boothby.
So sad a child having to see a neurologist. Having the person who is suppose to help u treat u like that is just heartbreaking. I can’t imagine the damage this did to the boy and his parents, especially having to deal with whatever health issue brings them to a neuro’s office.
Maybe the boy is just a crybaby and deserved what he got. How else would you stop a crybaby without using a bit of shock therapy?
Oh for Ch***** sake! Maybe this kid just got a diagnosis of a brain tumor or multiple sclerosis or some other degenerative disease that will leave him impaired someday. He’s a kid, who thinks he’s never going to get sick or hurt and maybe he’s gotten a scary diagnosis. Crybaby…I’d like to see how you’d react to a diagnosis like that. What a heartless a** you must be.
I said, “maybe”. Read my comment again. I’ve raised three children. By their own testimony, I am always appreciated by them, their spouses, and their children when I visit and stay over. Besides, they are all leading happy, productive, and healthy lifestyles. Could a heartless person bear that type of fruit?
wow – a little full of yourself. i would bet any money your kids and their spouses DON’T agree with your opinion of yourself.
Well, I know you don’t agree with my self opinion! That’s fine with me. Sticks and stones… :)
Calm down – next you’ll be throwing a box of Kleenex.
there is something seriously wrong with you! it doesn’t matter if a child is a crybaby or not!!
The patient is reported to be an adolescent. He probably tested the doctor’s patience. And even if he didn’t, the doctor was nice enough to offer him tissue to wipe his tears, right? Why is everyone picking on this doctor? After all, he’s not even a lawyer, politician, or reporter.
Ya, maybe. Maybe the dr. is a pig?
Cross this Dr off my list.
I wouldn’t do that. His services as a doctor might turn out to be the only option you have someday.
We already have a very good neurologist in South Portland thank God.
This quack practices out of Maine Neurology and he has no business treating patients at all.
He is an overpaid egotistical arse! Avoid him!
Wow, you must know this doctor well, or you are being very judgmental.
Keep in mind; the state doctors who review these complaints are just that; doctors…they protect their comrades… from personal experiences in EMMC I can tell their is little justice; even for those who truly harmed by their doctors…their lawyers and money will snub out the cries of the wounded…trust your heart; if it does not feel right….
Really? This is the top news of the day? How did it rise to important enough to be in the BDN?
Are there any doctors anymore??? All I can ever find are N.P. & P.A.s that charge doctors rates.
No they do not charge doctors rates. And I know a lot of very good N.P.’s and P.A.’s that are very good, some are better then the doc’s dedicated take their time and they do not throw things at patients and the good thing about them they can not perscribe narcotics.
….
Maybe Gov. LePage will hire him. :)
He’s been watching House.
Poor bed side manner, obviously the wrong side of his brain was working!
I’m sure we will all remember the good doctor’s name.
Maybe the doctor just had a bad day. If that’s the case it’s too bad his reputation was ruined on account of a single relatively harmless incident. The punishment wouldn’t seem to fit the crime here. That said, we don’t know all the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Great way to show compassion Doctor. I can think of another one just like him at St. Joe’s that is just as bad (Matones, DO)!
sounds like they saw “sarge” from geico, and I quote him-“Maybe we should walk over to mamby-pamby land try to find you some self confidence you jackwagon!”… and tosses kleenex
Is this Our good doctors hero?
edit: this immediately came to mind but I see about 12 hours ago a few also got it right..my head bows to the masters..
I love that commercial….
There’s no crying in neurology!
holy ****! are you kidding me?! But they won’t do anything about a therapist using a hypnotic technique on a client, dissociating and blacking them out for over an hour – suffering still to this day! Dir Anne Head needs to be replaced since she has no interest in being educated.
Unbelievable. To an adolescent, at that.
Finally, a rude and condescending doctor being called to the carpet for his actions. I’ve run across many a rude physician in my time. Personally, I always call them out on it, (and usually go find a different doctor) but as long as so many of their patients just tolerate that kind of behavior, they will keep doing it. I don’t imagine this was the first or even second occasion this doctor acted in such an inappropriate manner. Glad someone spoke up about it.
What a balanced comment. I fully believe he should be called onto the carpet. If this dr. cannot stand the heat, he should not go in the kitchen.
I find it irksome that we don’t know the details of the case. In fact, this article is little more than a minor edit of the press release about the action: http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Portal+News&id=352267&v=article-2008
The BDN has gotten so much better than it used to be several years ago, but they need to do better work than this. Make a few phone calls. Find out what the STORY is; don’t just report what some official board has to say about it.
Unfortunately, I visit neurologists’ offices on a very regular basis. As a patient, I would love to know specifically what happened here. As a citizen, I expect my newspaper to do at least a minimal amount of journalistic fact-finding.
He tossed a box of tissues onto the crying patient’s lap. Probably impulsive, not too smart in this case, but it doesn’t sound like a big deal to me. The patient should have thrown it right back.
Dr. Boothby is my doctor and I have never had anything but good experiences with him.
I have found that many (not all) specialty Dr’s. are pompus arses.
…
WOW! are you kidding me?! But they won’t do anything about a therapist using a hypnotic technique on a client, dissociating and blacking them out for over an hour – suffering still to this day! The Maine OLR needs to be investigated.
I think the board of licensure should look at this determine if it lives up to “do no harm”. If it doesn’t, let him go practice in New Jersey. If he were ANY GOOD, he wouldn’t be practicing his potentially very, very lucrative trade in Maine. The fact that he is in Maine at all kind of answers that question.
What a SOB. Especially to a kid. A lot of docs are emotionally stunted, but this takes the cake.
Sounds like the cheese hasn’t matured long enough.
Migraine, Parkinson’s Disease, Dementia……Are his areas of practice.
https://my.mmc.org/apps/asp/phys_dir/physicianDetail.asp?physicianID=433
This is so sad and disturbing. A neurologist deals with serious brain disorders. This teen was presumably responding to information about his own neurological illness or that of a relative. Or possible he has a brain disorder that makes it difficult or impossible to control his crying. No matter what the problem was, an experienced neurologist would surely know that saying something mean and throwing a box of tissues could only make things worse.
How helpful could he possibly be to families dealing with a brain-injured relative’s difficult behavior?
I find myself wondering what Boothby said to the patient. Maybe something like–
“Look, kid, so you’ve got to have brain surgery. No big deal. I myself had a bilateral amygdalectomy just last week. You don’t see ME whining and carrying on!” (lobs tissue box at patient).