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News Release — May 1, 2006
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
May 1, 2006
Medical Board of California Accusation
Leads to Surrender of Alturas Physician's License
SACRAMENTO—Facing an Accusation of wrongdoing by the Medical Board of California, Alturas physician Owen Murphy Panner, Jr., M.D. has surrendered his license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of his medical license was adopted on April 21, 2006 and became effective on April 28, 2006.
Prior to surrender, Panner's license was suspended on October 14, 2005, as the result of the issuance of an Interim Suspension Order (ISO), and remained suspended up to the time he surrendered his medical license. The ISO was based on evidence that Panner surreptitiously videotaped two minor female patients during pelvic exams and an adult female patient during a breast exam. In a formal accusation, the board alleged the above conduct constituted sexual misconduct, corrupt acts and unprofessional conduct. Medical Board Executive Director Dave Thornton stated, "The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers. We work diligently to achieve our mission by vigorously enforcing the Medical Practice Act."
On August 23, 2005, the Modoc County District Attorney filed a First Amended Criminal Complaint, Case No. M-05-295, in Modoc County Superior Court, against Panner, charging him with two misdemeanor counts of violating Penal Code section 647(k)(2) (secretly video taping a person in a state of full or partial undress for the purpose of viewing the body or undergarments of the person without her consent or knowledge). Panner pled no contest.
On August 24, 2005, the day after Panner's criminal conviction, he met with the Modoc Medical Center administrator and informed her that there was a third hidden camera located at the "Doc's House" - a residence on the Medical Clinic grounds where temporary staff (male and female), including physicians, nurses and others, would live while working at the Medical Center - and that the camera was located in the bathroom wall above the sink. Panner's conduct in placing a hidden camera in the bathroom at the temporary residence of female and male staff working at the Modoc Medical Center was an abuse of trust as a physician and constitutes unprofessional conduct within the meaning of section 2234 of the Business and Professions Code.
As a result of his criminal conviction, on October 12, 2005, Panner was sentenced to three years' probation and, as a condition of probation, was sentenced to serve 30 days' county jail time for each count for a total of 60 days.
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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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