For the second time in five several years, a West Des Moines dentist is facing expenses of incorrect sexual carry out.
The Iowa Dental Board has billed Dr. Phelan R. Thomas, whose practice is situated at 4100 College Ave. in West Des Moines, with “improper sexual get hold of with, or building suggestive, lewd, lascivious or incorrect remarks or advancements to, a patient or a coworker.” The publicly available documents give no indicator as to when the alleged perform took place or no matter if a individual or employee was associated.
Thomas is also billed with unprofessional or unethical carry out of some form and with failure to comply with an buy of the board.
The distinct carry out that is alleged, and which gave rise to the charges, is redacted from the publicly out there statement of fees filed by the board.
Under a 2021 Iowa Supreme Court ruling, licensing boards can tell the public of the regulatory violations a licensee is accused of committing, but the perform that led to the fees getting filed ought to be saved private till the circumstance is solved — a approach that can choose months or even years.
Thomas’ assertion of fees references 3 individual situation quantities that indicate they were initiated in 2021 and 2022, suggesting the expenses include extra than a single grievance or allegation. A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31.
2018 circumstance towards dentist Phelan Thomas involved woman individuals and pupils
In 2018, the board alleged Thomas experienced built lewd remarks and advances to women in his office environment. At that time, the board reported he experienced demonstrated “a sample of making improper remarks to and exhibiting inappropriate conduct with woman people and students.”
Especially, the board alleged Thomas created “improper improvements to (dental) rotation students” and had a “relationship” of some type with a affected person.
The board also alleged Thomas did not effectively guard versus bacterial infections, did not wear or improve gloves when proper, applied improperly loaded sterilizers and failed to have the essential guidelines in place to dispose of clinical squander and expired treatment.
The case was settled when Thomas agreed to pay back a $1,000 great and complete educational coaching in expert boundaries. As element of the settlement settlement, he was barred from obtaining any students doing work in his office environment and was prohibited from staying by itself with woman individuals at any time.
Thomas also agreed to instruction in infection manage and to have his an infection-command tactics monitored at his clinic. In addition, his license was placed on probation for 5 a long time.
The Iowa Money Dispatch was not able to reach Thomas’ lawyer for comment.
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