Radiologist must pay $14,000 fine, undergo training after allegedly overlooking abnormalities on brain scan
A Florida radiologist must pay more than $14,000 and undergo safety training after purportedly misreading a brain CT scan almost seven years ago.
The state board of medicine issued the order on May 6, demanding a $5,000 fine and another $9,015 to reimburse authorities for investigative and prosecutorial costs, the Ocala-News reported Thursday.
John S. Scales, MD, a vascular and interventional specialist with Radiology Associates of Ocala in central Florida, has agreed to the terms, according to the state. RAO, an independent imaging group employing approximately 40 rads, declined to comment on the agreement Thursday when reached by Radiology Business.
The incident occurred on July 24, 2019, when a 24-year-old man visited the AdventHealth Ocala hospital complaining of nausea and an eight-day headache. Providers ordered a head CT scan, which Scales interpreted as having no acute intracranial findings, according to an administrative complaint filed against the physician. This meant an MRI was only needed if symptoms worsened, the report concluded.
However, authorities charge that the scan presented several missed abnormalities, including poor visualization of cortical sulci, indicating potential brain swelling. The Florida Board of Medicine charged that failing to spot at least one of these concerns violates the standard of care, constituting medical malpractice. Scales is not admitting liability in the plea deal, but he has agreed to multiple penalties to settle the matter, the Ocala-News noted.
Along with imposing fines, Florida is issuing a formal Letter of Concern against the physician’s medical license. He additionally must complete five hours of continuing medical education focused on the interpretation of brain CT imaging, along with another five hours relating to risk management. Scales has 30 days to pay the fines. He also reportedly faced disciplinary action in 2016 for a wrong-site surgery, according to the Ocala-News.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.