Manchester doctor disciplined for sexual relationship with employee/patient

A family physician was cited, and ordered to pay a civil penalty of $3,000

A Manchester family doctor was disciplined by the Iowa Board of Medicine last week for having a sexual relationship with an employee who was also his patient and for failing to report his suspension to the hospital that resulted from the relationship

Dr. Nikolas May, a family medicine and obstetrics physician at Regional Family Health in Manchester, was issued a summons and warning by the board for engaging in “sexual misconduct” and failing to report hospital discipline “in violation of laws and regulations governing the practice of medicine in Iowa,” according to the Iowa Board of Medicine’s final order filed Oct. 17.

He must also pay a civil penalty of $3,000.

The board alleged that May committed “unprofessional and unethical misconduct” by engaging in sexual conduct with a patient, “regardless of whether the patient consented” to the relationship, according to the document.

The documents do not explain the patient’s work.

May also did not report a disciplinary action by the hospital to the board. She received a 30-day suspension from the hospital where she worked as a result of the relationship.

May agreed to a settlement agreement and waived a contested hearing, including her right to a judicial review of the board’s order. He was cited and warned that engaging in similar conduct in the future may result in “further disciplinary action against (his) Iowa medical license.”

The imposed civil penalty of $3,000 must be paid within 20 days of the order and is payable to the Iowa Treasurer, which is deposited into the state’s General Fund, according to the board document .

The board also required May to complete a board-approved “professional boundaries” course within 90 days of the order.

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