Alamo Doctor Showed Up Drunk To Help With C-Section, State Says

ALAMO, CA — An Alamo OB-GYN showed up drunk to a call for a cesarean section last summer at San Ramon Regional Medical Center, where she was the on-call obstetrician for the day.

Dr. Michele L. Riopelle may lose her license, as Bay Area News Group first reported. Medical Board of California Interim Executive Director Christine J. Lally brought an accusation against Riopelle March 26 alleging unprofessional conduct.

Riopelle, who has been a doctor for 32 years, is no longer practicing at San Ramon Regional Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson said in an email. Riopelle did not immediately respond to a request for comment left at a phone number associated with her online.

She was on call from 7 a.m. July 31 to 7 a.m. Aug. 1, according to the accusation. An OB-GYN called her around midnight seeking help with a C-section.

Riopelle said she would come in, but had not showed up 40 minutes later, according to the accusation. The medical center requires a 30-minute response time for C-section assistants, so nursing staff called her.

Riopelle said she was in the parking lot, so the OB-GYN began the procedure.

Staff soon noticed she was incoherent, had slurred speech, was unsteady on her feet and seemed confused, according to the accusation. She had trouble properly washing her hands, tying her shoes and putting on her mask and gloves, according to the accusation.

She denied taking medication and said she was fine, the accusation said. Staff tried to stop her, but she entered the operating room with the patient and her husband, according to the accusation.

Riopelle approached the patient and was then escorted out of the room, according to the accusation. The OB-GYN had already completed the operation with help from a pediatrician.

Riopelle was evaluated at the emergency room at 1:55 a.m. August 1, where she said she took a muscle relaxant but could not recall what she took, according to the accusation.

Staff were worried about a neurological issue and ordered a CT scan, which did not show anything alarming. A blood test showed a .30 percent blood alcohol level, according to the accusation. She was released to her husband.

The accusation calls on the medical board to hold a hearing and: revoke or suspend Riopelle's physician's and surgeon's certificate; revoke, suspend or deny approval of her authority to supervise physician assistants and advanced practice nurses; and pay the board for the costs of her probation monitoring, if she is placed on probation.