Caught in a lie by 2 states, radiologist now at risk of losing medical license
An interventional radiologist in California is at risk of having his medical license revoked after the state’s medical board discovered he had previously omitted information about his past.
Ramana Chigurupati, MD, has held a medical license in California since 2020. However, he previously practiced interventional radiology in Oklahoma, and at one point was the subject of disciplinary action by the Sooner State’s medical board.
In early 2021, a complaint accusing Chigurupati of “inadequate and/or unnecessary placement of stents” was filed with Oklahoma’s medical board. During that time, it is alleged the doctor also failed to maintain documentation of patients’ medical records, which would have contained the information needed to prove the necessity of the procedures he was performing.
By March of that same year, the IR was banned from performing venous stenting procedures in the state; in July of 2023, he was stripped of his medical license in Oklahoma after a second complaint regarding his “substandard medical care in arterial stenting procedures” was filed.
But before that disciplinary action took effect, Chigurupati had moved and was already practicing in California. Documents filed before the California State Medical Board suggest that the state later learned that Chigurupati was able to acquire his medical license by lying on his application.
In 2022, Chigurupati’s Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate was placed on probation in California. During his quarterly declaration in October of 2023—after his ability to practice medicine in Oklahoma had been revoked—Chigurupati answered “no” when he was asked whether he had been subject to any previous disciplinary action or had his medical revoked, suspended or surrendered by any state or government entity. On Oct. 26, 2023, Chigurupati’s California Board Probation Officer asked him to review and confirm his signed third quarter declaration; Chigurupati did so, again stating that his answers were correct.
The California State Medical Board contends Chigurupati’s responses regarding his past disciplinary history “constituted an act of dishonesty because he incorrectly (and falsely) answered.” The Board added that since then, Chigurupati still has failed to disclose this information. It has since suggested that Chigurupati’s Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate should be revoked or suspended and that he also should not be allowed to supervise other providers during procedures.
Read more about the case here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.