Manchester doctor punished for sexual relationship with employee/patient

The GP was cited and ordered to pay a civil penalty of $3,000

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

Dr. Nikolas May, a family medicine and obstetrics physician at Regional Family Health in Manchester, received a summons and warning from 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 final order from the Iowa Board of Medicine, filed Oct. 17.

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

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

The documents do not explain the patient’s employment.

May also failed to report a hospital disciplinary action to the board. Because of the relationship, he received a 30-day suspension from the hospital where he worked.

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

The $3,000 fine imposed must be paid within 20 days of the order and made payable to the Iowa Treasurer, to be deposited into the State General Fund, according to the administrative document.

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

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