Relates to enhancing the ability of the department of health to investigate, discipline, and monitor licensed physicians, physician assistants…

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Liz Krueger says this is needed

Patients rely on their health care practitioners for trusted medical advice and the health care services they need. New York State-licensed health care providers are held to high standards of medical practice in order to ensure that patients receive quality health care services and that practitioners conduct themselves ethically. While most practitioners adhere to these standards, there have been deeply troubling reports in the media about health care providers who have engaged in professional misconduct, including sexual misconduct, with patients who are minors and adults, in some cases over a span of many years. For example, in 2024, Dr. Darius Paduch was sentenced to life in prison for committing sexual misconduct against more than 300 male patients since 2007, including minors, at several hospitals in New York City. Dr Robert Hadden was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assault- ing hundreds of female patients over two decades at New York City hospi- tals. Dr. Paul Giacopelli was arrested and confessed to sexually abusing a patient at Putnam County Hospital whom he had rendered unconscious using a chemical. Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng was charged with drugging, sexually assaulting, and filming the assaults of multiple women, including patients at a New York City hospital, as well as at his home. The New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH), which oversees physi- cians, physicians practicing under a limited permit, physician's assist- ants, specialist's assistants, and medical residents, has procedures in place to investigate, discipline, and monitor these practitioners; however, ongoing reports of professional misconduct points to the need for essential improvements to address loopholes and other deficiencies. This legislation would make updates to definitions of professional misconduct, authorize the Health Commissioner to take additional actions, close loopholes, and strengthen regulation of medical licen- sure, investigation, and reporting, while ensuring due process, which would increase the ability of the State Department of Health to investi- gate, discipline, and monitor licensed physicians, physician assistants, and specialist assistants effectively and justly.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.