A Bel Air chiropractor is battling to prevent the state Board of Chiropractic Examiners from revoking his license in response to accusations that he padded fees, permitted unlicensed aides to examine patients and attempted to have two board members lured into sexual liaisons.
The chiropractor, Dr. Brian L. Regan, was granted permission to be identified in the board's proceedings by the pseudonym "Dr. John Doe, D.C.," in a ruling by Harford Circuit Judge Maurice W. Baldwin last Thursday. Lawyers also filed a motion on behalf of "Dr. Doe" seeking to block the state board from requiring him to appear at a Nov. 14 evidentiary hearing, at which he could defend himself against the allegations of improper conduct.
"Dr. Doe's" real name was blacked out throughout most of the Circuit Court records. But, in two instances, the records identify the chiropractor as "Dr. Regan" and say he practices in Bel Air.
Dr. Regan, a Forest Hill resident, operates a chiropractic center on Churchville Road. The Bel Air business is listed in the telephone directory as Yalich Clinic of Bel Air, P.C., ChiroPro and Regan Enterprises. Court records show that Dr. Regan leases the Yalich name for his clinic.
Dr. Lawrence Yalich, who owns or leases several chiropractic clinics bearing his name throughout the metropolitan Baltimore area, said yesterday that Dr. Regan purchased the Bel Air clinic from him in 1991, except for the patient rehabilitation portion of the business.
"Dr. Regan has had documents to sign to purchase the rehabilitation portion of the clinic since June, but has not yet signed them," Dr. Yalich said.
On Friday, Dr. Regan declined to comment on the state chiropractic board's allegations against him and referred a reporter to his lawyer. The lawyer did not return telephone calls.
The board detailed 13 pages of allegations in a letter to Dr. Regan from Dr. Audie Klingler, president of the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, in July, court records show. The board compiled the allegations -- of violations of the Maryland Chiropractic Act -- from complaints against him by 13 employees and former employees between April 1989 and March 1994.
Those allegations included hiring, supervising and aiding unlicensed people -- graduates and nongraduates of chiropractic schools -- to practice as chiropractors; making and submitting false reports to patients and their insurance companies; and soliciting employees to lure members of the state Board of Chiropractic Examiners and others into sexual liaisons for the purpose of obtaining information to use against the board. All names except those of state Board of Chiropractic Examiners members are blacked out in the court records to preserve the individuals' privacy.
The board alleged that Dr. Regan allowed unlicensed assistants to test and take X-rays of patients, assess patients' therapy and write insurance reports, frequently without supervision. One woman was trained by another unlicensed staff member, allegedly at the direction of Dr. Regan, to perform patient consultations and examinations, the board said.
The board also contended that a woman hired as a receptionist became a patient of Dr. Regan and that he billed her insurance company for treatment she never received.
Three women allegedly were asked or ordered by Dr. Regan to make appointments with Dr. Howard F. Lewis and Dr. D. Brent Owens, who are chiropractic board members, and with Dr. Joseph Hughes, president of the Maryland Chiropractic Association. The board alleged that the women said they were supposed to entice the doctors into sexual liaisons so Dr. Regan could discredit them. The board said one employee declined, another didn't keep her appointment and the third, who said Dr. Regan threatened to fire her if she didn't keep the appointment, did so, but made no attempt to entice the doctor into a sexual encounter.
Carol L. Rubin, Gerard King Stevens and Eric M. Newman, the Baltimore attorneys representing Dr. Regan, are seeking to halt the Nov. 14 evidentiary hearing until a judge decides if the state board should step aside and permit a state administrative law judge to hear Dr. Regan's defense.
Dr. Regan's lawyers said in the court papers that they plan to call Dr. Klingler, Dr. Lewis and Dr. Florence G. Blanck, another chiropractic board member, as defense witnesses. The lawyers also contended that Dr. Lewis and board member Dr. Paul H. Goszkowski should not hear the case because they have chiropractic businesses near Dr. Regan's and compete with him.