Florida Psychiatrist Loses License for Having Sex With His Patient

The Florida State Prison's former psychiatrist Emanuel John Falcone loses his medical license after having sex with a mentally ill patient in New York State. The former Dr. Falcone had supporters at the hearing, but the board unanimously voted to revoke his license. His license was revoked earlier in New York for having sex with the patient, but was hired by Florida Prisons at a salary of $188k even though he admitted to his interviewer of the New York case. His supporters spoke on his behalf that he should be able to practice seeing male patients only in a prison environment, and that his crime was not attributed to his BiPolar disorder. Apparently, this psychiatrist felt he could commit the offense in one State and then pick up and restart his practice in another.

Falcone told the New York bureau of prisons he never considered his interactions with the woman to be treatment or therapy. But the panel rejected that argument in permanently revoking his license in September 2008 for professional misconduct, gross and repeated incompetence and negligence and failing to maintain medical records. The
The Panel wrote: “He was too selfishly motivated and lost sight of his oath,” the panel said. “We saw no remorse, no humility, no sign that he understood the great harm that he caused despite his attempt to present a speech that was supposed to convince us otherwise.” The bureau found his actions toward the patient “predatory” and said he knew her illness left her vulnerable. “He eventually exploited that vulnerability for his own purpose and satisfaction.”

Here is a link to the Youtube Video of the Florida hearing from FloridaPsychNews: http://tinyurl.com/licenserevoked