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News Release — November 12, 2004
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
November 12, 2004
Medical Board of California's Suspension
of Palm Desert Physician's License Upheld
SACRAMENTO—Administrative Law Judge Greer D. Knopf has upheld the imposition of the full interim suspension order (ISO) against Jane Espejo Norton, M.D. of Palm Desert. Based on evidence and testimony submitted at a hearing on October 27, 2004, Judge Knopf found that sufficient evidence existed to show that Norton cannot practice medicine without an unacceptable risk of harm to the public and to her patients. The ISO was based upon a finding that permitting Norton to continue to engage in the practice of medicine would endanger the public health, safety, and welfare.
The Petition alleged that on June 2, 2004, in the case entitled United States of America v. Jane Norton, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Norton was convicted of two counts of violating Title 18, United States Code, sections 1003 and 1002, as a result of her submitting to the United States Small Business Administration a fraudulent loan application seeking disaster business loans and submitting a letter to the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency falsely claiming that a piece of medical equipment belonging to her medical practice had been destroyed as a result of Hurricane Floyd.
The Petition further alleged that Norton committed multiple acts of gross negligence and unprofessional conduct in her care and treatment of a 56-year-old female patient with multiple medical problems, by: (1) performing multiple, prolonged, elective cosmetic surgical procedures on her, an unhealthy patient, in an outpatient setting with insufficient postoperative care and no preoperative medical clearance; (2) performing cosmetic liposuction and dermabrasion on the patient, who, at that time, had large, non-healing, open wounds from prior surgeries that Norton had previously performed on her; (3) leaving the patient, sick and deteriorating, in the care of a medical assistant after one of the surgeries, rather than leaving her in the care of a competent physician; and (4) performing one of the surgeries even though she knew that she would be out of town after the surgery without adequate physician coverage and then, after performing the surgery, actually leaving town without arranging for or obtaining adequate physician coverage for the patient.
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The mission of the Medical Board 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.caldocinfo.ca.gov or for questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.
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