Patients of suspended Fredericton doctor hope to see his suspension shortened, create petition

A well-known Fredericton doctor has been suspended for having an improper relationship with a patient, and hundreds of New Brunswickers are taking matters into their own hands to try and have his suspension shortened.

The New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons confirmed that Dr. Everette Hanson has been suspended for 18 months following an investigation. College registrar Ed Schollenberg told Global News that Dr. Hanson pleaded guilty to professional misconduct and agreed to the suspension to avoid going to a hearing.

“Earlier in 2017, we got a complaint from a patient and her husband alleging that there has been an improper relationship between Dr. Hanson and the patient,” Schollenberg said.

The suspension shocked Fredericton-area resident Stephen Berthelot and he launched an online petition in response to hearing about the suspension.

Berthelot said Hanson wasn’t his regular doctor but he saw him several times in the Oromocto Hospital Emergency Room.

“We have a hard enough time finding a doctor and to take one out and suspend him for 18 months, I don’t know what all of his patients are going to do to try to find a new doctor so quickly,” Berthelot said.

In an emailed statement to Global News from Hanson’s lawyer, Julie LeBlanc Hultberg said the Brookside Mall clinic will remain “committed to continuity of patient care.”

The statement said another physician will ensure that medical care remains available for all patients at that location.

“The Clinic is expected to be open on January 8, 2018 at 7 a.m. Full 2018 office hours will be posted at the Clinic,” LeBlanc Hultberg wrote.

Berthelot launched the petition at approximately 11 p.m. Monday night, and since then it has grown to include more than 1,550 signatures.

“It started, there was just me, and then two or three and when I woke up this morning, there were about 800… so I was extremely surprised that it actually took off that quickly,” Berthelot said.

He said Hanson is a “wonderful doctor” and “a great guy,” and said another doctor filling in won’t be quite the same.

“Dr. Hanson has been practicing in the area for 30 years and a lot of people have been seeing him for a very long time, so you’re not going to get that personalized relationship with them,” Berthelot said.

” I don’t know how long I’ll let it go, I’m thinking maybe a week or so and then I’ll present it to the College of Doctors and Physicians and see what comes of it,” Berthelot said.

Katie Love worked with Dr. Hanson at the Oromocto Public Hospital for a few years and said she was also a patient at the Brookside clinic. Love said she also believes the suspension is too harsh and signed the petition in hopes of seeing it reduced.

“I’m just a strong proponent that the suspension that he was issued for the act described… was not reflective of either the decision he made or the situation he was put in,” Love said.

“I feel greatly that it is detrimental to our city that he’s being removed from the service that he offers anybody who either doesn’t have a family doctor or anybody who uses that walk-in clinic as an intermediate step between a family doctor and the emergency room.”

She said she’s not surprised to see the outpouring of support for Hanson.

“He’s so valued that I expect that the signatures will continue to climb,” Love said.

Schollenberg said the 18-month suspension includes six months of abeyance, similar to probation. Hanson is also required to complete a professional ethics and boundaries course in London, Ont., before returning to work.

“I believe it’s a day-and-a-half just to make sure the physician knows what’s acceptable, what’s not acceptable if they don’t know already, almost a pro forma requirement for these situations,” Schollenberg said.

Schollenberg said it’s been 25 years since a physician was suspended for something similar.