sask. doctor admitted to hitting children, suspended four months
dr. robert steffen has been ordered to take courses in ethics and professionalism, as well as anger management.
2 minute read
the college of physicians and surgeons of saskatchewan, with offices located in saskatoon, is an oversight body for doctors in the province.
michelle berg
/
saskatoon starphoenix
melfort-based doctor robert steffen has had his medical licence suspended after he admitted that he hit children and inappropriately self-prescribed medication. the decision regarding the non-criminal professional charges was rendered on nov. 29 by the council of the college of physicians and surgeons of saskatchewan (cpss), which regulates the practice of medicine in the province.
in addition to the four-month suspension, which began monday, steffen is to receive a written reprimand and must pay $8,853.55 to cover costs of the investigation into his conduct and the hearing. he must also complete courses in ethics and professionalism, as well as anger management.
if he fails to pay or complete the required courses within a timeframe directed by the cpss, his licence will be suspended again until he does so.
the first set of charges alleged that he “physically assaulted a child.”
“on or about” feb. 3rd, 2019 “you struck a nine-year-old child in the face for disobeying a direction,” the document states.
further, that set of charges alleged that between 2019 and 2023 he “inappropriately” prescribed himself medication on “one or more” occasions.
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and finally, it alleged that while he was the subject of a complaint pertaining to self-prescribing, on or about july 21, 2023, he sent the cpss a letter that was false or misleading as to “one or more” of: the number of times he’d self-prescribed, the types and/or number of medications he’d self-prescribed, and the reasons for and/or circumstances in which he’d self-prescribed.
a separate charge document alleged he “physically assaulted a child patient during an office attendance.”
the document outlining the charge describes that on feb. 29, 2023 “patient #1,” who was then eight years old, attended steffen’s office for an appointment, accompanied by his mother.
“when you attempted to provide care to patient #1, he was not cooperating and began to pull on a piece of medical equipment, at which point you pulled patient #1 off of the clinic bed by his arms and placed him on the ground,” the cpss document reads. “you then picked patient #1 up and spanked him across the buttocks area, then forcibly placed him back into the chair.”
according to the cpss website, he admitted to the four charges.
when the charges were brought against steffen, the regina leader-post reached out to the doctor’s office to provide him an opportunity to comment, but no response was received.
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information available on the cpss website indicates that steffen received his medical degree from a south african university in 1998 and specializes in family medicine.
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