Texas Doctor Suspended after Months of Alarming Behavior Ended in Meltdown
A pediatrician in north Texas was suspended from his practice following months of bizarre and dangerous behavior.
The Texas Medical Board suspended Dr. Kurt Pflieger after he allegedly appeared at work last week crying and wearing pajamas. Pflieger, who has been licensed in Texas for more than 20 years, displayed illegal behavior for months, medical board documents revealed.
A report by the Texas Medical Board said that between January and April, Pfieger "engaged in a pattern of impaired practice at Rockwall Pediatrics." In January, staff reportedly noticed the doctor appeared to be distracted and preoccupied.
Pfieger allegedly failed to complete or submit electronic prescriptions, and issued prescriptions by mistake. He crossed "physician patient boundaries" when he "obsessively" shared personal photos, stories and information with patients, staff and drug representatives.
During an incident in February, Pfieger was said to be rough-housing with a 2-year-old. The doctor attempted to throw the toddler onto his shoulder but missed and dropped the child on the ground, causing the boy to hit his head on the floor.
The following day, staff members said they heard Pfieger yell "Satan!" while meeting with two patients. The report said staff observed Pfieger to be in a "manic state" during the interaction. The doctor also reportedly ignored a cardiac patient during a stress test, instead speaking with the patient's mother about a vacation he had gone on.
Pfieger was observed coming in late to work and had slurred speech on occasion. The doctor also acted inappropriately with staff, the report said. He was seen slapping a subordinate on the butt, kissing another on her face without her consent and asking another staffer if "she were as good in bed as his fiancée."
Staff reported that the doctor arrived at work three days in a row wearing the same sweatpants and red shirt "with wild, unkept hair." On April 5, Pfieger came to work crying and wearing his pajamas.
The Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended Pfieger on April 6.
"I'm glad that he's getting a mandatory break, for sure," Leslie Cook, a mother exiting the practice on Tuesday told KTVT-TV. "And being the mother of a baby that I love so much…I would want him to see a doctor that's well rested, happy and clear-headed."
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