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Professional Conduct reports – July 2026
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Recent hearing outcomes
Dr. Bruce Hoffman, a general practitioner from Calgary, was sanctioned by a CPSA Hearing Tribunal for unprofessional conduct.
It was alleged that in 2016, Dr. Hoffman charged the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan for services provided to a patient while also privately charging the patient fees for the same visit, contrary to the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act. Dr. Hoffman was also accused of charging the patient an unreasonable appointment cancellation fee, contrary to the Canadian Medical Association’s Code of Ethics and Professionalism, and used a numbered company (an incorporated business without a descriptive name) to practise medicine, contrary to the Health Professions Act. Dr. Hoffman also allegedly violated CPSA’s Patient Record Retention standard of practice in April 2017 by failing to ensure the confidentiality of his patient’s records.
After hearing from witnesses and considering the evidence, the Hearing Tribunal found Dr. Hoffman guilty of four counts of unprofessional conduct. A fifth allegation was found to have not been proven and was dismissed by the Tribunal.
At a sanction hearing held in 2025, the Tribunal considered submissions from both parties before issuing their orders, which includes the following:
- Dr. Hoffman will receive a reprimand.
- At his own expense, Dr. Hoffman must complete a course on privacy, and a course on ethics and professionalism.
- Dr. Hoffman is fined a collective total of $7,000.
- Dr. Hoffman is responsible for 50% of costs from the investigation and hearing, to a maximum of $25,000.
Dr. Hoffman, who is now retired from practice in Alberta, has appealed the Tribunal’s finding of unprofessional conduct and orders on sanction to CPSA Council.
Dr. Robert Machuk, an ophthalmologist from Edmonton, admitted to unprofessional conduct and was sanctioned by a CPSA Hearing Tribunal.
In 2023, Dr. Machuk failed to maintain a professional demeanor with a patient during a difficult clinical visit, failed to properly supervise his staff who posted on social media implying the patient was impaired during their visit, and created late entries on the patient’s chart (without indicating them as such).
The Tribunal accepted Dr. Machuk’s admission to the charges and a joint submission on sanction, ordering the following:
- As of May 1, 2026, Dr. Machuk is suspended from practice for three months.
- If Dr. Machuk provides his patient with a written apology that is satisfactory to CPSA’s Complaints Director, two months of the suspension will be considered served.
- At his own cost, Dr. Machuk must undergo a multi-disciplinary assessment, and must implement any recommendations or practice changes that result from the assessment.
- Dr. Machuk is responsible for a portion of the costs of the investigation and hearing, totalling $5,000.
Dr. James A. McIntyre, a family physician from Red Deer, was sanctioned by a CPSA Hearing Tribunal for unprofessional conduct.
Dr. McIntyre failed to fulfill his continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, did not respond to correspondence sent in 2024 from CPSA’s Assistant Registrar of Continuing Competence regarding his outstanding CPD requirements and did not cooperate with the CPSA investigator who was assigned to investigate the resulting complaint that was filed.
Dr. McIntyre admitted to the allegations and the Tribunal accepted a joint submission on sanction, ordering the following:
- Dr. McIntyre’s practice permit is suspended for 14 days, to be served within 90 days of the date on the Tribunal’s written decision.
- At his own cost, Dr. McIntyre must complete a course on risk management.
- Dr. McIntyre must pay a fine of $4,000.
- Dr. McIntyre is responsible for a portion of the costs of the investigation and hearing in the amount of $6,000.
Dr. Alec Oskin, a psychiatrist from Edmonton, was sanctioned by a CPSA Hearing Tribunal after admitting to unprofessional conduct.
In both professional reports and when providing courtroom testimony between 2007 and 2013, Dr. Oskin was found to have improperly represented himself as a psychiatrist, forensic psychiatrist and forensic adolescent psychiatrist, which are protected titles under provincial legislation. While Dr. Oskin had undergone training in psychiatry, he was not authorized to use these protected titles during this period.
CPSA’s Complaints Director became aware of Dr. Oskin’s actions in 2022 and initiated a complaint. The Tribunal accepted Dr. Oskin’s admission of unprofessional conduct and a joint recommendation on sanction, ordering the following:
- At his own expense, Dr. Oskin must complete a course on ethics and boundaries by June 30, 2026.
- If Dr. Oskin does not unconditionally pass the course, his practice permit will be suspended for three months and he will be required to engage in a one-on-one remediation program with a medical ethicist.
- Dr. Oskin is responsible for a portion of the costs of the investigation and hearing, totaling $25,000.
| Learnings for the profession
To ensure patients are receiving the best possible care, physicians are expected to continue growing their skills and knowledge throughout their medical careers. All physicians registered in Alberta must be enrolled in an approved continuing professional development (CPD) program. Enrollment is monitored and physicians must complete the minimum number of credits required per cycle to remain in good standing with CPSA. Both of Canada’s national colleges offer CPD programs, and physicians are free to choose the one that best meets their needs:
Questions about CPD? More information is available on our website, or you can submit an inquiry through our online contact form. |





















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