Complaints and Discipline
Decisions
The following Hearing Tribunal proceedings were held and written Hearing Tribunal decisions were rendered. Findings have been presented without the publication of identifying information. The discipline summaries are not intended to provide comprehensive information on the complaint, details of the investigation, or Hearing Tribunal proceedings; they are for educational purposes only.
Case 1
A Hearing Tribunal made a finding of unprofessional conduct against a member who did not spin patient samples in accordance with the employer’s established standard laboratory operating procedures and/or College’s Standards of Practice, and did not run quality control material and/or background instrument checks in accordance with the employer’s established standard laboratory operating procedures and/or the College’s Standards of Practice. The member admitted to the unprofessional conduct and signed an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty in conjunction with the College. The Hearing Tribunal ordered fines in the amount of $1500.00 and successful completion of a professional ethics course. The Hearing Tribunal reminds all MLTs of the importance of pre-analytical procedures and processes (including centrifugation) and the importance of placing patient safety in higher regard than the time involved to perform a procedure.
Case 2
A Hearing Tribunal made a finding of unprofessional conduct against a member who deliberately breached patient confidentiality and accessed medical information on family members and co-workers on numerous occasions without appropriate authorization. The member admitted to the unprofessional conduct and signed an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty in conjunction with the College. The Hearing Tribunal ordered fines in the amount of $1750.00 and successful completion of a professional ethics course.
Case 3
A Hearing Tribunal made a second finding of unprofessional conduct against a member who failed to comply with a previous Hearing Tribunal written order to provide proof of successful completion of a professional ethics course on or before September, 30, 2010. The member admitted to the unprofessional conduct. The Hearing Tribunal ordered completion of the original professional ethics course, payment of all outstanding fines/costs from original Hearing Tribunal decision, $10,000 in costs, a $1,000 fine, and completion of an administrative law course. In the event, the member breaches any of the above orders and does not comply within the specified time frames, their MLT Practice Permit and registration will be immediately cancelled by the Registrar. The Hearing Tribunal’s decision was strictly punitive as this was blatant non-compliance with a previous Hearing Tribunal order.
Case 4
A Hearing Tribunal made three findings of unprofessional conduct against a member who displayed a lack of knowledge, skill, or judgment in performing Medical Laboratory Technologist duties by leaving the lab without notifying anyone of an error made in selecting an incorrect probe for a laboratory test; displayed a repetitive lack of judgment during the course of employment by not adhering to conditions of employment, specifically failing to renew an MLT Practice Permit for three consecutive years in a timely manner; and displayed a repetitive lack of judgment during the course of employment by not adhering to conditions of employment, specifically chronic lateness. The member did not admit to the three charges of unprofessional conduct. The Hearing Tribunal ordered a formal reprimand be placed on the member file, payment of a $1,000 fine, completion of a professional ethics course, and costs of $30,000 for the investigation, hearing, and other associated costs.
Case 5
A Hearing Tribunal made two findings of unprofessional conduct against a member who demonstrated an inability to perform basic Medical Laboratory Technologist duties with the required minimum independence and accuracy and failed to perform the following basic medical laboratory procedures to minimum acceptable standards: specimen labeling; specimen tracking, identification of peripheral blood smear red and white cell morphologies; identification of normal and abnormal cells in manual differentials; and processing of specimens utilizing automated hematology and coagulation analyzers. The member admitted to the unprofessional conduct and signed an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty in conjunction with the College. The Hearing Tribunal ordered fines in the amount of $750 and in the event the member secures future MLT employment, the College’s Complaints Director is to receive written performance evaluations at 60 and 90 day intervals from the employer.
Case 6
A Hearing Tribunal made two findings of unprofessional conduct against a member who failed to demonstrate basic Medical Laboratory Technologist skills, knowledge, judgments, and abilities necessary to perform medical laboratory procedures in accordance with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) laboratory accreditation standards and who demonstrated unsatisfactory inter-personal and communication skills. The member admitted to the unprofessional conduct and signed an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty in conjunction with the College. The Hearing Tribunal ordered fines in the amount of $1000, completion of a formal medical laboratory science course in a specified area of professional practice, and completion of a professional ethics course within six months of the date of service of the Hearing Tribunal order.
