On December 4, 2025 the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) referred a matter involving Yulia Sternin to the Discipline Tribunal for a hearing.
The hearing took place on April 21, 2026. This matter was resolved by way of an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty.
Finding
The panel of the Discipline Tribunal issued a decision on the finding on April 21, 2026, on the penalty on April 21, 2026 and on costs on April 21, 2026.
After having considered all of the evidence, the panel found Yulia Sternin to have committed the following acts of professional misconduct:
- paragraph 1 (failing to maintain the standards of practice of the profession)
- paragraph 18 (engaging in conduct or performing an act relevant to the practice of the profession that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional)
- paragraph 26 (failing to maintain records in accordance with the standards of practice of the profession)
- paragraph 32 (submitting an account or charge for services that the member knows or ought to know is false or misleading)
- paragraph 33 (failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that any accounts submitted in the member’s name or billing number are fair and accurate)
- paragraph 41 (failing to supervise in accordance with the standards of practice of the profession).
Penalty
The panel ordered the following penalty, Yulia Sternin will:
- Receive a reprimand at the conclusion of the hearing (delivered on April 21, 2026)
- Serve an eight-month suspension (From May 4, 2026 until January 1, 2027)
- This suspension could be extended if certain requirements are not met
- Review a review standards of practice, tools and resources
- Complete an ethics and professionalism course
- Participate in practice enhancement coaching following the suspension
- Not supervise physiotherapists, physiotherapy students or physiotherapy residents until certain requirements have been met.
While Yulia Sternin is serving the suspension, they cannot:
- use the title Physiotherapist, PT or any abbreviation there of
- use their name, PT title and/or registration number cannot be use for billing purposes
- practice as a physiotherapist assistant (“PTA”)
The panel also ordered Yulia Sternin to pay costs to the College in the amount of $7,000 to offset some of the costs associated with investigating and prosecuting this case.
As a part of the penalty, the Committee issued a reprimand which read as follows:
Ms. Sternin,
This Panel of the Discipline Committee has found that you committed professional misconduct that included submitting false or misleading invoices, failing to meet documentation and supervision standards, and failing to take appropriate steps to ensure that invoices issued in your name were accurate. The misconduct in which you engaged failed to maintain the standards of practice of the profession and was, without question, disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional.
By your own admission, you engaged, over an eight-year period, in a scheme to provide invoices for physiotherapy services when clients were not receiving such services. You allowed the use of your name, professional title, and registration number for services you knew were not physiotherapy services and were not delivered at your place of work, but rather at a Pilates studio without your supervision or oversight.
As a physiotherapist and regulated health professional, you are held to the highest standards of professional conduct, including with respect to billing practices. Participating in inappropriate billing practices over such a prolonged period demonstrates not only a profound lack of judgment, but also a disregard for the profession itself. Allowing your title and registration number to be used inappropriately casts a shadow on the legitimacy and reputation of the profession as a whole and calls into question the integrity of claims submitted to organizations that fund physiotherapy services. Many patients rely on extended health care benefits to access necessary care. If confidence in the legitimacy of billing practices is undermined, there is a real risk that such funding may be reduced or withdrawn, ultimately limiting access to care and harming the public.
This Panel echoes the clear message that previous panels have sent—inappropriate billing practices will not be tolerated. Accordingly, the Panel has ordered a suspension of your certificate of registration, mandatory review of a substantive body of professional standards, practice tools, and regulatory resources, completion of an ethics course, and participation in practice enhancement coaching. You are also prohibited from supervising physiotherapy residents or students for one year following your return to practice. The seriousness of this order reflects the seriousness of the misconduct and is intended to reinforce that such behaviour is incompatible with the obligations of a regulated health professional.
We strongly urge you to treat this penalty as an opportunity for meaningful reflection and remediation. The Panel expects that, upon your return to practice, you will demonstrate a clear and sustained commitment to ethical billing practices, accurate and transparent documentation, and full compliance with all professional and regulatory obligations. Your future conduct must reflect a thorough understanding that the privilege of practising as a physiotherapist is contingent upon honesty, accountability, and unwavering adherence to the standards of the profession.
You can read the full decision of the Discipline Tribunal on CanLII (www.canlii.org)