Doctor loses license
By Kathy McCarty
A Fort Kent doctor who once practiced in Presque Isle had her medical license revoked July 13 by the Board of Licensure in Medicine.
Following an adjudicatory hearing, the Board found that Dr. Ellen E. Michalowksi, M.D., an OB-GYN, of Presque Isle, engaged in the practice of fraud or deceit, unprofessional conduct and habitual substance abuse. It was concluded Michalowski violated Board rules and conditions of probation and demonstrated incompetence.
During the hearing, the Board heard testimony that Michalowski issued prescriptions and obtained medication using the name of another person. The Board found the doctor had obtained the medication by using her “border area” license and using Canadian pharmacies. In addition, the Board determined that Michalowski prescribed narcotics for a person without establishing a legitimate doctor-patient relationship or creating a medical record.
Michalowksi had previously agreed to a temporary suspension of her medical license in September of 2008 until the Board took final action regarding her alleged self-prescribing. The Board had received information in July 2008 that Michalowski had been issuing prescriptions for a fictitious patient and picking up the medication herself.
According to a statement from the Board, prior to the temporary suspension, Michalowski had accepted a reprimand and five years’ probation in a consent agreement signed with the Board on April 10, 2007. She had agreed that during the probation she would maintain a relationship with a single primary care physician who would provide all her prescriptions, engage in counseling and participate in the Physician Health Program. This action was based on information, including prescription profiles and medical records, indicating Michalowski was obtaining narcotics from more than a dozen medical providers, including one she supervised.
Board records indicate Michalowski first received her license to practice medicine in Maine in 1996. Records also indicate Michalowski had sought medication to relieve pain related to a “long-standing knee injury that caused her severe pain and led to a total knee replacement in December of 2005” and that she had a “pseudo-addiction related to poor pain control management of long-standing knee pain.”
On Dec. 20, 2006, the Board received written notification from The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) indicating that it had imposed an administration suspension — described as “non-punitive” – upon Michalowski on Oct. 4, 2006. On Jan. 10, 2007, the Board received a written notification from TAMC indicating that Michalowski was placed on medical leave from Dec. 28, 2006 through Feb. 18, 2007.
In January of 2007, Michalowksi underwent revision of the left total knee replacement, which revealed serious complications from the first surgery – the findings consistent with Michalowski “experiencing prolonged and more than normal post-operative pain following the 2005 knee surgery.”
Despite the surgery and subsequent treatments, Michalowksi reportedly continued to have pain that resulted in her seeking prescriptions.
All Board disciplinary actions are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, the Health Integrity and Protection Data Bank and the Federation of State Medical Boards Action Data Bank. These reports are regularly reviewed by every state licensing board in the country.
