Long Valley Doctor Among 13 To Lose Job Amid Crackdown

LONG VALLEY, NJ – Thirteen doctors lost their jobs in New Jersey for bad behavior over the last two months, joining a growing list of doctors who've run into trouble as the state continues to crack down on physicians who "recklessly disregarded their professional and ethical obligations," according to the Office of Attorney General.

One of those on the list is a Long Valley doctor accused of sexually assaulting two children during two medical examinations at his Hackettstown office.

Dr. Jagdish Chugh, of Long Valley, is accused of sexual assault against two patients at Pediatric & Adolescent Medical Center in Hackettstown. Chugh is the only doctor at that practice.

In both cases, Chugh is accused of touching an "intimate part of the victim's body" without consent during examinations, officials said. The patient's ages and genders were not released. Chugh was charged with three counts of criminal sexual contact and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Some of the other 13 doctors were accused of giving out "goody bags" of drugs or even sexual assault. Indeed, one Passaic County doctor lost his license after he was charged with selling prescriptions for highly addictive prescription painkillers without a legitimate medical purpose.

The sanctions come a year after Attorney General Gurbir Grewal launched a new office to lead his statewide crackdown on reckless medical practices amid the worsening opioid crisis: the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies, or NJ CARES.

Since then, the OAG has successfully petitioned the State Board of Medical Examiners to suspend or revoke the professional licenses of more than two dozen prescribers who have "recklessly disregarded their professional and ethical obligations, or subjected them to other professional discipline," the OAG said.

Many of these actions were taken on an "emergency basis" to deal with inappropriate behavior as well as to stem the flow of opioids to patients and other users, the OAG said.

The Passaic County case involves Mahesh Mehta, 65, who practices family medicine in Paterson. His license was suspended on Nov. 11 after he was indicted on a charge of second-degree unlawful dispensing of controlled dangerous substances.

Mehta allegedly sold prescriptions for Percocet, a Schedule II opioid pain medication, according to a release from the Office of Attorney General.

Here were the other 12 suspended by the State Board of Medical Examiners, which oversees medical licenses, in November and December:

• Neil Kamal, an anesthesiologist, was engaged in "indiscriminate" prescribing of CDS, according to the board. He was arrested on Sept. 25 fo dispensing "goody bags" of drugs. His license was suspended on Dec. 18.
• Eric Yahav indiscriminately prescribed CDS to six women who were not patients, according to the board. His license was suspended on Dec. 18 for two years.
• Marjorie Condon indiscriminately prescribed drugs, including pain management medication, according to the board. Her license was suspended for one year on Dec. 13.
• Joseph Prober was not truthful when completing applications for hospital privileges, and he also engaged in multiple acts of medical negligence and incompetence, according to the board. His license was suspended on Dec. 12 for nine months.
• Mikhail Solomonov, 53, was arrested, charged and convicted of sexual assault. His license was temporarily suspended on Dec. 9. The Cedar Knolls doctor was found guilty of sexually assaulting his health assistant during their educational getaway in Colorado, according to The Trentonian.
• Alan Kelsey lost his license and was told to cease and desist from all patient contact; it's not clear why. His license was revoked on Nov. 29.
• James Darren, a podiatrist, was supposed to fulfill a skills assessment. He said he was dealing with an unexpected serious medical issue, but his failure to comply led to his license being suspended on Nov. 22.
• Chugh was arrested on July 30 for allegedly having sexual contact with two children. He temporarily surrendered his license on Nov. 6 pending the outcome of the case. The Long Valley resident was arrested and charged with three counts of having sexual contact with the children. The doctor was accused of touching part of one victim's body without consent and had sexual contact with a second victim. All of the examinations took place at the Pediatric & Adolescent Medical Center in Hackettstown, according to the Warren County Prosecutor's Office.
• Raymond Hendel let his license lapse as his plastic surgery practice was being investigated, according to the board. His license was suspended on Nov. 1.
• Amir Shariati was licensed to practice medicine and surgery but he let it lapse, according to the board. He was fined $2,500 in connection with his alleged treatment of a patient. His license was suspended on Nov. 1.
• Larry Shemen let his license lapse and was fined $7,500. He failed to retain a patient record for at least six years, according to the board. His license was suspended on Nov. 1.
• Arpad Szallasi let his license lapse and his license was suspended on Nov. 1.

Chugh has previously earned accolades for his work with children, including new named a New Jersey Best Kid Doctor, and a Trademark Who is Who Top Doctors. He had been practicing for over 20 years.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.