On September 16, 2014, a panel of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee referred allegations pertaining to Aerry Patel to the Discipline Committee for a hearing. The hearing took place on April 13, 2015.
Summary of the Allegations
Aerry Patel was the co-owner of Square One Physio in Mississauga, Ontario. Mr. Patel’s business partner, who is also a physiotherapist, had his certificate of registration suspended between September 21, 2012, and November 2, 2012.
It was alleged that Mr. Patel:
- failed to report to the College that his business partner, SS, was practicing physiotherapy while his certificate of registration was suspended,
- assisted his business partner, SS, to practice physiotherapy while his certificate of registration was suspended, and
- falsified records and submitted accounts or charges for services that he knew or ought to have known were false or misleading.
Findings
The parties agreed and the panel of the Discipline Committee confirmed that Mr. Patel had committed the following acts of professional misconduct in that he:
- failed to meet the standards of practice of the profession,
- engaged in conduct or performed an act relevant to the practice of the profession that having regard to all the circumstances would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonorable or unprofessional,
- submitted an account or charge for the services that the member knew or ought to have known were false or misleading.
Penalty
The panel accepted a joint submission on penalty as proposed by the parties. In doing so the panel ordered the following:
- Mr. Patel’s certificate of registration is suspended for a period of 4 weeks. Mr. Patel will be required to serve 2 weeks (of the 4) if he completes the following:
- Mr. Patel will receive a reprimand.
- Mr. Patel will be required to complete an ethics course.
Mr. Patel completed the ethics program prior to the hearing taking place.
In addition, Mr. Patel was ordered to pay costs in the amount of $8,000 to the College to offset some of the costs of investigating and prosecuting this matter. This cost order was paid on the day of the hearing.