Dr. Phu Truong Vu found guilty of sexual abuse

Edmonton, AB – Calgary physician Dr. Phu Truong Vu has been found guilty of conduct meeting the definition of sexual abuse under the Health Professions Act (HPA). Dr. Vu was previously found guilty of sexual abuse in 2022, in a separate CPSA case involving two other patients.

After a hearing in December 2023, a CPSA Hearing Tribunal found Dr. Vu guilty of allegations that between 2018 and 2020, he failed to have an adequate consent discussion with his patient regarding testing for sexually transmitted diseases, touched his patient in a sexual nature and made inappropriate, sexualized comments while conducting sensitive, invasive examinations that were not medically required. Additional charges including Dr. Vu using inappropriate language and failing to wear gloves during a sensitive examination were found to have not been proven.

Dr. Vu denied that his conduct was of a sexual nature, or that it should be considered sexual abuse. After considering the evidence and testimony provided, the Tribunal concluded Dr. Vu’s conduct met the definition of sexual abuse under the HPA and also violated CPSA’s standard of practice on sexual boundaries. A hearing on sanction will be scheduled for a later date.

Dr. Vu has not been in practice since the first finding of sexual abuse in August 2022. His license was immediately suspended and then subsequently cancelled in January 2024 upon delivery of the written decision on sanction. Dr. Vu has appealed this decision.

Dr. Vu’s hearing was held in accordance with the legislation the Government of Alberta introduced in 2018, requiring mandatory penalties for health professionals found guilty of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct of a patient. Those penalties can include mandatory suspensions or cancellations, up to and including lifetime bans on providing professional health services to Alberta patients.

Resources:
CPSA Hearing Tribunal decision (Trigger/content warning: sexual abuse, sexual language)
CPSA media release (July 2024)