Professional Conduct reports – July 2024

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Recent hearing outcomes

Dr. Yolanda Alcaraz-Limcangco sanctioned for second finding of unprofessional conduct

Family physician Dr. Yolanda Alcaraz-Limcangco of Edmonton was sanctioned by a CPSA Hearing Tribunal after admitting to unprofessional conduct.

As part of a 2022 hearing tribunal decision for a separate complaint, Dr. Alcaraz-Limcangco was ordered to undergo a Clinical Competence Assessment at the Centre for Personalized Education for Physicians (CPEP) by Sept. 30, 2022. Dr. Alcaraz-Limcangco failed to comply with this order, though she did ultimately complete the required assessment by February 2024, after CPSA’s Complaints Director initiated a new complaint.

Dr. Alcaraz-Limcangco admitted to the allegations and the Hearing Tribunal accepted a joint submission on sanction, which includes the following:

• Alcaraz-Limcangco will receive a reprimand and her practice permit is suspended for 30 days, to be served beginning no later than Oct. 1, 2024.
• Within nine months from the date on the hearing decision and at her own cost, Dr. Alcaraz-Limcangco must unconditionally pass CPEP’s PROBE course on ethics and boundaries.
• Alcaraz-Limcangco is fined $5,000 and is responsible for 25% of the costs of the investigation and hearing, to a maximum of $10,000.

The hearing decision can be reviewed in full on CPSA’s website.

Dr. Jung Hwa Lee sanctioned for improperly accessing health records

A CPSA Hearing Tribunal has sanctioned Dr. Jung Hwa Lee, a family physician from Calgary, after a previous finding of unprofessional conduct.

In 2023, Dr. Lee was found guilty of improperly accessing a patient’s health record in 2020, without an authorized reason for doing so and in breach of the Health Information Act, the Health Professions Act and CPSA’s Code of Ethics and Professionalism.

The Tribunal accepted a joint submission on sanction from Dr. Lee and CPSA’s Complaints Director. It was ordered that Dr. Lee receive a written reprimand and at her own expense, complete the Privacy and Confidentiality course offered by the Canadian Medical Protective Association (which she has done). Costs were not ordered by the Hearing Tribunal. Find their full, written decision on CPSA’s website.

Practice permit of Dr. Barry Wollach cancelled after sexual assault conviction

A CPSA Hearing Tribunal has ordered the cancellation of the practice permit of anesthesiologist Dr. Barry Wollach, after he was criminally convicted in October 2019 of sexual assault. The victim was not a patient, or professionally connected to Dr. Wollach.

Dr. Wollach has been out of practice since January 2019, when CPSA first learned of the criminal charges against him and requested his withdrawal from practice. CPSA waited to proceed with formal disciplinary action until Dr. Wollach had exhausted his options for appealing his criminal conviction. His application to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada was dismissed on Nov. 3, 2022.

In addition to the cancellation of his permit to practise medicine in Alberta, the Tribunal also ordered Dr. Wollach to pay a portion of the costs of the investigation and hearing, totalling $8,500. Read the hearing tribunal’s decision in full on CPSA’s website.