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News Release — April 21, 2003
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
April 21, 2003
Medical Board of California Revokes License
of Half Moon Bay Physician
SACRAMENTO—The Medical Board of California has revoked the medical license of Richard Berry Dye, M.D. of Half Moon Bay. The decision becomes effective May 5, 2003.
Dye was found to have violated the Medical Practice Act by engaging in, among other things, repeated and long term sexual misconduct which also constituted gross negligence in the performance of his duties as a physician. Evidence demonstrated that he performed excessive breast and vaginal examinations in the absence of any abnormal findings and he also insisted on applying anti-fungal vaginal creams that patients customarily purchase over-the-counter and apply at home.
Another finding concluded that he also made false statements on the application he submitted to the Medical Board which would have warranted the denial of his California medical license when he first sought licensure in 1996. He also was found to have deliberately breached patient confidentiality when, in a dishonest and corrupt manner, he deliberately and willfully created and distributed flyers in the Half Moon Bay community containing personal information about complaining patients who came forward and identified themselves to the Medical Board as abuse victims. He engaged in a calculated pattern of harassment against these complaining patients that included writing highly personal and disparaging letters to other healthcare providers in the area without the patients' consent or knowledge, often disclosing private medical information about the patients.
Dye was ordered to pay the Medical Board of California the reasonable costs of the investigation and enforcement of this case in the amount of $104,440.
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The mission of the Medical Board of California is to protect healthcare consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act.
If you have a question or complaint about the healthcare you are receiving, the Board encourages you to visit its Web site at www.medbd.ca.gov, or with questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.
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