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News Release — March 4,2008
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
March 4, 2008
Medical Board of California Accusation
leads to surrender of former Santa Rosa physician's license
SACRAMENTO — After being served with an Accusation of wrongdoing by the Medical Board of California, former Santa Rosa physician Calvin S. Steever has surrendered his license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of his license is effective March 4, 2008. Medical Board Executive Director Barb Johnston stated, "The mission of the Medical Board is public protection, and this action reflects the board's ongoing commitment to that mission."
The Medical Board accused Steever of gross negligence, incompetence, repeated negligent acts, and unprofessional conduct in the treatment of two patients while he was employed as a physician at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California.
Specifically, the Accusation charges that Steever was presented with an inmate patient with complaints of shortness of breath who had a history significant for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The patient's vital signs were significant for oxygen saturation; however, Steever failed to perform a full workup to determine the cause of the patient's abnormal oxygen saturation level. Three days later, the patient was found unresponsive and was rushed to an emergency room in acute cardiopulmonary arrest, where he later died of extensive bilateral pneumonia.
In a second patient case, the board charged that Steever treated a 35-year-old inmate patient, with a history of multiple gunshot wounds, for treatment of chronic pain. The patient advised Steever that his pain had been controlled by a high dosage of methadone "on the outside." However, he had not received methadone during his current incarceration, and there were no records to confirm that the patient had been on such a high dosage. Steever proceeded to prescribe methadone in the high dosage suggested by the patient who was "opiate naïve," without verifying the patient's previous dosage. A few days later, the patient was found unresponsive and without a pulse. He subsequently died, with the cause being a myocardial infarction, secondary to advanced coronary vascular disease.
The public record documents in this case can be accessed on our Web site at www.mbc.ca.gov under the heading "Enforcement Public Documents."
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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, and, to promote access to quality medical care through the Board's licensing and regulatory functions.
If you have a question or complaint about the healthcare you are receiving, the board encourages you to visit its Web site at www.mbc.ca.gov or for questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.
For up-to-date information on board activities, please join our "Subscribers' List" at www.mbc.ca.gov/subscribers.html.
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