Medical Disciplinary Actions

The Medical Board of California licenses physicians and other medical professionals. It also investigates medical complaints and issues disciplinary actions. The most serious penalties include license revocation, suspension and probation.

These are the Los Angeles County physicians subject to serious disciplinary actions between Nov. 1, 1998, and Jan. 31, 1999, according to Medical Board documents. Generally, final actions are published only after all appeals are exhausted.

Dr. Gus Dixon, Long Beach: Failed to maintain adequate and accurate medical records for two patients with psychiatric conditions. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand*. Effective Dec. 22, 1998.

Dr. William Albert Duvall Jr., Los Angeles: Aided and abetted two unlicensed persons in the practice of medicine, and signed off on charts and prescriptions prepared by the unlicensed persons without examining the patients involved. Revocation of license stayed, five years’ probation. Effective Jan. 25, 1999.

Dr. Arnold Ellis, Inglewood: Prescribed medication to three patients without performing a good-faith examination. Suspension of license stayed, one year probation. Effective Nov. 12, 1998.

Dr. Daryoush Farahmand, Beverly Hills: Sexual misconduct with a patient and multiple charting omissions constituting acts of repeated negligence. Revocation of license stayed, seven years’ probation. Effective Dec. 16, 1998.

Dr. Askil S. Ghozland, Montebello: Committed acts of gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence, dishonesty and created a false medical record in his care and treatment of two patients. Revocation of license stayed, license suspended for 120 days, seven years’ probation. Effective Dec. 23, 1998.

Dr. Percy Naranjo, Huntington Park: During the course of treating a patient for stress-related medical problems, he prescribed numerous dangerous drugs in nontherapeutic amounts, combined contraindicated drugs, prescribed dangerous drugs without medical indication and failed to change his course of treatment in the face of continuing complaints of the same symptoms. Revocation of license stayed, two years’ probation. Effective Dec. 31, 1998.

Dr. Yousuf Sadiq, Diamond Bar: Involved in a sexual relationship with a woman who subsequently became his patient, and the relationship continued after she became a patient. Revocation of license stayed, two years’ probation. Effective Dec. 18, 1998.

Dr. Richard Edmund Schweitzer, Topanga: Failed to timely diagnose and treat a malignant melanoma on the ear of a patient. Disciplined via public letter of reprimand*. Effective Dec. 7, 1998.

Dr. Mordehai Zaray-Mizrahi, Sherman Oaks: Criminal conviction for mail fraud related to his involvement in a scheme to defraud insurance companies. Revocation of license stayed, three years’ probation. Effective Jan. 8, 1999.

* A lesser form of discipline that can be negotiated for minor violations before or after the filing of formal charges (accusations). The licensee is chastised in the form of a letter that becomes a part of the physician’s record.

Source: Medical Board of California, Sacramento