Dr. Tad is Not the Only Media-Focused Physician With a Checkered Background in Rhode Island
Wednesday, July 05, 2017
A GoLocal story in June unveiled that Dr. Tad Sztykowski, or as he is marketed as “Dr. Tad,” had been using paid television and radio shows on WPRI-12’s The Rhode Show and WPRO-AM respectively to position himself as a leading physician on a range of healthcare issues.
A GoLocal review finds that Dr. Tad’s fellow WPRO radio show host Dr. Stephen Petteruti has had his share of disciplinary actions by the Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH). He has been cited for sexual misconduct and improper distribution of narcotics.
Records Review
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPetteruti has twice had his license suspended and reinstated and just last year received a reprimand from DOH.
In took nearly twenty years for Dr. Tad to lose his license — DOH stated citing him as early as 1997. Finally, in May 2017, DOH ordered Dr. Tad to relinquish his license as Doctor of Acupuncture. He was never a licensed physician in Rhode Island.
The Dr. Tad radio show has disappeared from the airwaves, but his television clips are still live on WPRI.com's The Rhode Show, a pay-to-appear TV show.
Dr. Tad in one paid appearance on The Rhode Show gave advice on “how integrative medicine differs from conventional medicine”, on another appearance it was “treating hormone imbalance in women," and yet on another he was an expert on “understanding chronic pain syndrome.” The only problem was that “Dr. Tad” was never a licensed physician Rhode Island or any where else in the United States -- and was cited by DOH for telling patients to stop taking drugs from their regular physicians.
Dr. Petteruti’s History with the Department of Health
Today, Dr. Petteruti markets his radioshow "Intellectual Medicine with Dr. Petteruti" and ties it into the marketing for his corporation “Intellectual Medicine 120.” According to Petteruti, his mission is “guiding people towards living the 120 Lifespan while retaining youth.”
While Petterutti markets on WPRO and appears on The Rhode Show, it is difficult for the public to track down his detailed track record.
Petteruti told GoLocal, "We understand that what we are doing and IM 120 is not the same as the type of care rendered in conventional practices. In order to achieve a more youthful and extended life span, new approaches must be applied. Standard care will lead to a standard outcome. It has been our experience that obesity in particular is ignored by mainstream medicine. We have had enormous success treating obesity by addressing it as a chronic medical issue. Excess body weight is one of the most powerful elements that will foreshorten lifespan."
Sexual Contact with Patient
In 1997, according to DOH documentation, Petteruti was found guilty of unprofessional conduct for violating RI General Laws for "having sexual contact between a doctor and a patient during the existence of the doctor/patient relationship." Petteruti voluntarily surrendered his license to practice medicine in the state of Rhode Island and agreed to certain conditions. His license was reinstated in 1998, according to DOH. "My license was suspended once, 20 years ago due to a consensual relationship I had with a patient. After six months my license was reinstated," said Petteruti.
Six Prescriptions, Two Months, One Patient
A Warwick physician who had his license suspended in the 1990s for having sexual contact with a patient, is now suspended from prescribing controlled substances, after an investigation into his writing improper prescriptions for drugs including Oxycodone, Diazepam, and Adderall.
Petteruti, DO, was found to have written six separate prescriptions for one family member (using that family member's maiden name which is different from his own), between October 12 and December 12, 2011. According to the RI Department of Health (HEALTH), the prescriptions were for Oxycodone, Hydromorphone, Diazepam, and Zofran.
Board of Pharmacy investigators served a subpoena for medical records for two family members and Dr. Petteruti himself and found no evidence of any medical examination relating to these prescriptions.
Petteruti stated to the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline in July of 2012 that he did physically evaluate the family member/patient prior to prescribing medication and "he stated that he observed the patient's response to all medications and monitored for any side effects," according to documents from HEALTH. Petteruti also "asserted that the prescriptions 'for a brief period of time was not inappropriate.'"
Petteruti also admitted that he prescribed Adderall for another family member on one occasion. He said he was "aware of the family member's full medical history and observed his repines to the prescribed medication."
His license was again reinstated on June 12, 2013. In an email to GoLocal on Tuesday, Petteruti said, "My privilege for writing narcotics was suspended because of pain medicines that I wrote for a family member without proper documentation."
Reprimand - Medical Decision Making
According to state records, Petteruti was reprimanded in late 2016 -- the third enforcement action by DOH.
“The Board finds respondent has violated Rhode Island General Law 5-37-5.1 (19)…rendering of medically unnecessary services…” As part of his most recent reprimand, Petteruti was forced to pay an administrative fee of $1,750 and take additional courses.
"The reprimand occurred as a consequence of a more thorough assessment and work up of a patient suffering from obesity than is generally performed by a Family doctor. As one of the few Family Practice doctors also board certified in bariatric (weight loss) medicine, I look for opportunities to evaluate and treat patients suffering with obesity. In this case, the patient ended up with a large bill from the insurance company which triggered the complaint. Despite the support from the physician who wrote the AMA position paper declaring obesity to be a medical disease, the Board of Health reprimanded me for ordering too many labs. I was required to do an online continuing medical education (CME) about labs," added Petteruti.
How Does RI Regulate Docs - and Their Marketing?
Joseph Wendelken of the Department of Health explains, “Licensees are the subjects of consent orders and other disciplinary actions issued by the Department of Health. The Department can take a disciplinary action against a licensee for advertising that is misleading, but we do not have any jurisdiction over media outlets.”
Petteruti defended his marketing, "We pay for the privilege of being on the air. We use the time to educate the public about medical issues we think are relevant to their health and well being, as well as our philosophy of antiaging medicine. We do not have any sponsors. We feel this allows us to remain fully unbiased."
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