WASHINGTON, DC – Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced the successful resolution of three enforcement cases against licensed medical and dental providers who, in violation of DC laws, were endangering District residents. As a result of enforcement actions by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), these providers—a nurse with fabricated credentials, a dentist who failed to comply with sanitation and hygiene standards, and a dentist who failed to undergo required retraining—each had their licenses suspended and are no longer practicing in DC.
“The Office of the Attorney General is committed to using the law to protect DC residents—and that includes ensuring medical providers comply with all safety and quality requirements,” said AG Schwalb. “When healthcare professionals endanger their patients by disregarding the law, we will aggressively hold them accountable including, if necessary, by putting them out of business. As a result of these enforcement actions, three individuals who posed a risk to public health and their patients’ safety are no longer practicing in DC. These cases demonstrate the importance of our team’s civil enforcement work and the impact it has on the safety and wellbeing of DC residents.”
Through its Civil Enforcement Section, OAG enforces regulations that protect the health, safety, and quality of life of DC residents, including regulations that govern licensed medical professionals. The District requires medical providers, including doctors, nurses, and dentists, to meet established standards for training, education, and practice. These standards ensure licensed health professionals practice safely. If providers violate these standards and endanger DC residents, they can face consequences such as reprimands, fines, retraining, probationary periods, and license suspensions or revocations.
OAG recently took action against multiple medical providers who violated licensing standards, including:
- A nurse with falsified credentials: OAG took action against a registered nurse who had obtained a fraudulent nursing degree and lacked required clinical training. In 2022, the District received information from federal authorities that the Palm Beach School of Nursing had awarded fraudulent nursing degrees. District authorities investigated and found that Caroline Ogungbure, a recipient of such a fraudulent degree, posed a danger to the health and safety of the public because she lacked the 650 hours of clinical training required to be a licensed nurse in the District. As a result of OAG’s action, her nursing license was suspended. The order is available here.
- A dentist who failed to meet basic hygiene standards: OAG stepped in to protect the health and safety of DC residents after patients complained that Dr. Donald Meyer’s office had visible layers of dust and grime, and that when he dropped dental instruments on the ground, he picked them up and used them on patients without washing them. District inspectors found that he failed to regularly wash his hands; failed to change PPE between patients; failed to properly sterilize and store dental tools; failed to safely handle contaminated sharps; and failed to safely store medical waste. OAG drafted a notice of summary suspension, which upon service immediately suspended the dentist’s license on an emergency basis and began a legal process that could lead to permanent suspension. When the dentist received the notice of summary suspension, he retired rather than contesting it. He is no longer licensed to practice in the District.
- A dentist who failed to get required retraining: OAG took enforcement action against a dentist who failed to get the extensive retraining he needed to practice safely after multiple patient complaints. Three patients complained that Dr. Larry McNair had violated standards of care. As a result, he agreed to pay a $5,000 fine and complete 60 hours of continuing education, including education on diagnosis and treatment, dental prosthetics, anesthesia, recordkeeping, and ethical billing practices. However, McNair completed only four of the required 60 hours of training and failed to pay the fine. OAG took action to hold him accountable for violating the previous agreement and his license was suspended. The order is available here.
These matters were handled by Assistant Attorneys General Shani Brown, Collin Cenci, and Alycia Hogenmiller with supervision by Civil Enforcement Section Chief Kimberly M. Johnson and Assistant Chief Chuck Coughlin.
File a Complaint About a Medical Professional or Facility
More information about how to file a complaint about a DC medical professional or facility is available from the Department of Health here.
Residents may also file complaints about unfair or illegal business practices to OAG’s Office of Consumer Protection by calling (202) 442-9828, emailing consumer.protection@dc.gov, or submitting a complaint online.