3 Physicians Cited By RIDOH

3 Physicians Cited By RIDOH

Three doctors were cited by the Rhode Island Department of Health this week for a range of violations.

 

Philip Joseph Opalenski, M.D. ("Respondent") has been licensed to practice medicine in the State of Rhode Island since June 18, 1980. This complaint arises from the treatment and discharge of a patient from Landmark Medical Center ("Landmark"). The patient was admitted on October 2, 2024, with complaints of chest pain and shortness of breath. 

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On October 3, Respondent provided a consultation on the patient in his role as a gastroenterologist. Respondent assessed the patient with various conditions, including liver failure, hyponatremia, alcohol use disorder, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, alcohol-related hepatitis, steatosis/cirrhosis with portal hypertension, and ascites. Respondent's consultation note indicated that the patient was afebrile but tachycardic with icterus, edema, and abdominal tenderness to palpation, with leukocytosis, elevated creatinine, bilirubin and liver function tests. 

 

Respondent recommended oral and intravenous medications, including antibiotics, prednisolone and proton pump inhibitors as well as serial lab studies including hemoglobin, liver function tests, ammonia levels and creatinine. 

 

Respondent performed an upper endoscopy the following day, on October 4, 2024. Respondent did not evaluate the patient after the endoscopy, despite the lab studies that he recommended demonstrating worsening leukocytosis and liver function. The patient was discharged from Landmark on October 10, 2024,. Respondent did not provide the admitting medical team with a discharge plan or follow-up appointments with gastroenterology. On the day of discharge, the patient had elevated readings, including a white blood cell count of 29.8 (up from 21.7), a bilirubin of 29.5 (up from 24.7), and a creatinine of 2.89 (up from 2.09). 

 

Fifteen hours after discharge from Landmark, the patient was transported by EMS to Rhode Island Hospital with shortness of breath and abdominal pain and was admitted with a diagnosis of decompensated liver failure with hepatorenal syndrome.

 

The Board conducted an investigation through its Investigative Committee and reviewed the underlying medical records relating to the treatment of the patient at Landmark. Respondent provided the Investigative Committee with a written response to the allegations set forth in the complaint. Additionally, Respondent appeared before the Investigative Committee to discuss his examination and treatment of the patient and the circumstances surrounding the patient's discharge on October 10, 2024. During his appearance before the Investigative Committee, as well as in his written response, Respondent stated that he was neither contacted nor consulted by any medical providers at Landmark regarding a discharge plan.

 

Investigation

Upon assessment of the medical records, as well as correspondence and interview, the Investigative Committee concluded that the Respondent was aware that critical follow-up care was necessary for this patient. Respondent failed to recommend additional evaluations and treatment of the patient's advanced liver disease. The Investigative Committee concluded that the Respondent should have followed the patient throughout the hospital stay and participated in the planning for post-discharge gastroenterology care for the patient. Respondent should have provided a written discharge recommendation in the medical record for use by the hospital staff for discharge and outpatient evaluation and treatment planning.

 

Reprimand

Respondent is hereby issued a reprimand on his Rhode Island license and shall pay an administrative fee in the amount of $1,100.00. The administrative fee must be paid within six ( 6) months from the date of ratification of this Consent Order. He is also required to conduct education programs.

 

 

Sajad Zalzala, M.D. ("Respondent") has been licensed to practice medicine in the State of Rhode Island since November 1, 2018.

He had been previously reprimanded by the RIDOH in July of 2025.

This new consent decree between RIDOH and Zalzala was executed on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

 

RIDOH writes:

Following the submission of a complaint by the Board of Medicine for the State of North Dakota, [Zalzala] and the State of North Dakota entered a stipulation on January 31, 2025, in which [Zalzala] admitted that a competency evaluation determined a need for a structured remediation plan and [Zalzala] therefore agreed to obtain an educational preceptor in family medicine for a period of at least six months to review either 10 charts or 20 percent of the total charts of [Zalzala]'s monthly patients, whichever is greater. The preceptor is also required to meet with [Zalzala]  on a monthly basis to discuss the review of the charts. 

 

The preceptor must also provide quarterly reports to the North Dakota Board detailing their involvement with the Respondent and their evaluation of the [Zalzala] 's charts. Respondent is required to complete continuing education requirements imposed by a Consent Order entered with the State of Maine on April 9, 2024, and an Order entered August 24, 2024, by the State of Wisconsin.

 

On July 15, 2025, [Zalzala] and the North Carolina Medical Board ("North Carolina Board") entered a Consent Order that arose initially from the entry of a Consent Order between [Zalzala] and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario on May 25, 2023.

 

The entry of the aforesaid order prompted the North Carolina Board to review the care provided by [Zalzala] to five (5) patients from the State of North Carolina. The North Carolina Board determined that treatments provided to the North Carolina patients relied heavily on patients' responses to vague and incomplete questions with insufficient clinical evaluation or corroboration. [Zalzala] was required to complete a continuing medical education course on medical record keeping and also participate in a 6-month educational mentorship with a family medicine physician.

 

Findings

In reciprocity to the actions taken against [Zalzala] by the States of North Dakota and North Carolina, the Investigative Committee made a probable cause determination that [Zalzala] violated R.l. Gen. Laws§ 5-37-5.1(21) which states, in pertinent part, that any "disciplinary action against a license or authorization to practice medicine in another state" constitutes unprofessional conduct.

 

Reprimand

[Zalzala] is hereby issued a reprimand upon his Rhode Island license and shall pay an administrative fee in the amount of $1,100.00. Since this infraction constitutes a second violation, [Zalzala] shall be required to pay a fine in the amount of $500. The administrative fee and fine must be paid within six (6) months from the date that this Consent Order is ratified by the Board.

 

 

Joel Steven Jones, D.O. ("Respondent") has been licensed to practice medicine in the State of Rhode Island since November 15, 2024.

 

On October 31, 2025, Respondent and the North Carolina Medical Board ("North Carolina Board") entered a Consent Order in which Respondent's license to practice medicine in the State of North Carolina was suspended for six months. The basis for the suspension was a finding that Respondent failed to adequately supervise advanced practice providers("APP") as the supervising physician. Respondent was also restricted from serving as a supervising physician to any APPs.

 

Finding

In reciprocity to the actions taken against the Respondent by the State of North Carolina, the Investigative Committee made a probable cause determination that the Respondent violated R.l. Gen. Laws§ 5-37-5.1(21) which states, in pertinent part, that any "disciplinary action against a license or authorization to practice medicine in another state" constitutes unprofessional conduct.

 

Reprimand

Respondent is hereby issued a reprimand upon his Rhode Island license and shall pay an administrative fee in the amount of $1,100.00. The consent decree was executed on Wednesday.