Former CdA doctor’s license revoked

Members of the Idaho state Board of Medicine have agreed unanimously to revoke the medical license of a former Coeur d’Alene doctor, saying it was the only way to protect the public from Tarek L. Haw’s “egregious abuse and exploitation of patients.”

Haw, 61, was accused of misusing prescription drugs, failing to properly diagnose or treat medical conditions and conducting examinations that bordered on sexual misconduct.

Final orders were filed Tuesday on behalf of the 10-member board, which concluded that Haw’s actions were not “an isolated incident, but a continuous practice,” according to state documents. Haw’s Idaho license, first granted in 1984, was set to expire in June.

Neither Haw nor his attorneys responded to the board’s notice of hearing. Haw could not be located for comment.

Complaints against Haw were detailed as 21 separate violations that ranged from improper prescriptions and fraudulent insurance billings to unnecessary breast exams and rough pelvic exams, including at least one conducted without gloves.

The board order ends the stormy Idaho career of the Egyptian-trained doctor, who abruptly closed his local practice last fall.

Haw battled the state board for years over his practice of injecting patients with hormones. His medical license was restricted in 2002, denied in 2003 and then reinstated.

“Given (Haw’s) contempt for the board and its authority, it is also reasonable to conclude that he will not voluntarily accept the fact that his practice of medicine globally violates the community standard of care …” the board statement said.

Haw could face criminal charges in connection with his actions. Coeur d’Alene police have forwarded results of an investigation involving several former patients to the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s office, an official said Thursday.

County Prosecutor Bill Douglas said he had not yet received the information but added that he was aware of the allegations. If it turns out there are multiple victims with separate accounts, the case could go forward.

“It’s likely that we’re going to be filing criminal charges,” he said.

Haw may face felony charges of sexual exploitation by a medical provider, which carries a penalty of $1,000, one year in jail or both, according to Idaho statute. No warrant has been issued for his arrest, however, officials said.

More than two dozen of some 435 former patients of Haw have contacted Rami Amaro, a Coeur d’Alene lawyer. Amaro said there are no imminent plans to file civil lawsuits.

“I imagine some people are satisfied with what the medical board has done,” she said. “When a man like this takes advantage of his role as a doctor, that is such a harm,” Amaro said.

Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at (208) 765-7124 or by e-mail at jonela@spokesman.com.