July 2008

MADISON -- The Department of Regulation and Licensing announced that the following final decisions and orders were issued in May 2008:

Steven A. Benson – Psychologist, Wausau. The Psychology Examining Board reprimanded Steven A. Benson, and ordered him to pay costs of $1,310. The Board also limited his license and ordered Benson to complete remedial education in professional ethics. Benson failed to release treatment records requested by a former client’s treatment provider, failed to respond in a timely manner to a request for information from the Board, and failed to complete required Board-approved continuing education during the biennium immediately proceeding his application for license renewal for the October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2007 biennium.
Dated: May 30, 2008. Wis. Stat. ss146.83(1) and 455.09(1)(g), and Wis. Adm. Code ss. Psy 4.01, 4.02(1)(a), and 5.01(5) and (28).

Shauna L. Dettinger – Registered Nurse, Trempealeau. The Board of Nursing suspended for an indefinite period the license of Shauna L. Dettinger to practice in Wisconsin and her privilege to practice under the authority of the Nurse Licensure Compact as a registered nurse. The Board also ordered that Dettinger pay costs of $300. The suspension shall be stayed upon a showing that, among other things, Dettinger has entered into and continued in a drug and alcohol treatment and monitoring programs, and abstained from all personal use of alcohol and unprescribed controlled substances. Dettinger, among other things, shall practice only under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse or other licensed health care professional, and may not work in a home healthcare, hospice, pool nursing or agency setting. Dettinger was arrested for operating a vehicle while influenced by an intoxicant (alcohol), and was also in possession of marijuana.
Dated: May 1, 2008. Wis. Stat. ss. 441.07(1)(b), (c), and (d), and Wis. Adm. Code ss. N 7.04(1), (2) and (15).

Doris E. Durst – Veterinarian, Chippewa Falls. The Veterinary Examining Board reprimanded Doris E Durst, and ordered her to pay costs of $1,593. The Board also limited her license and ordered Durst to complete remedial education in establishment and maintenance of the veterinary client patient relationship, record keeping for veterinary medical practice, pre- and post-operative patient assessment, and interventions for deteriorations in post-operative patient condition. Durst failed to provide medication for pain following extraction of teeth, to perform and document a pre-procedure physical examination, and to provide and document post-procedure observation of the patient until fully recovered from the general anesthesia. Durst also failed to diagnose the cause of a patient’s debilitated condition, to plan and implement an intervention to protect the patient’s health, to evaluate the effects of the intervention, and to revise her plan and interventions as necessary, and to inform the patient’s owner of the declining condition and options of the patient.
Dated: May 14, 2008. Wis. Stat. s. 453.07, and Wis. Adm. Code ss. VE 7.03, and 7.06(1).

Julie K. Lassa – Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber, Onalaska. The Board of Nursing reprimanded Julie K. Lassa, and ordered her to pay costs of $700. Lassa’s license to practice as a registered nurse and advanced practice nurse practitioner is limited in that, among other things, she must complete remedial education in the area of ethics and boundaries. Lassa solicited a patient for an unneeded portion of a morphine prescription which the patient received for post-surgical pain.
Dated: Wis. Stat. ss. 441.07(1)((b), (c), (d), and (e), 961.41(3g)(am), and Wis. Adm. Code ss. N 7.04(intro), (1) and (15).

Thomas J. Novak – Real Estate Appraiser, Amery. The Real Estate Appraisers Board limited the license of Thomas J. Novak to practice real estate appraisal, and ordered him to pay costs of $850. Novak’s license is limited in that, among other things, he must complete remedial education in basic appraisal principles or procedures or residential sales comparison and income approaches. Novak violated Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice concerning developing an appraisal, sales comparison approach, client and intended users, type and definition of value, scope of work and reasoning that supports analyses, opinions and conclusions.
Dated: May 21, 2008. Wis. Stat. ss. 458.26(3)(b) and (c), and Wis. Adm. Code ss. RL 86.01(1) and (2).

Laura D. Rush – Registered Nurse, Altoona. The Board of Nursing suspended for an indefinite period the license of Laura D. Rush to practice in Wisconsin and her privilege to practice under the authority of the Nurse Licensure Compact as a registered nurse. The Board also ordered that Rush pay costs of $675. The suspension is stayed based upon a showing that, among other things, Rush has entered into and continued in a drug and alcohol treatment and monitoring programs, and abstained from all personal use of alcohol and unprescribed controlled substances. Rush, among other things, shall not work as a nurse or other health care provider in a setting in which she has access to controlled substances, shall practice only under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse or other licensed health care professional, and may not work in a home healthcare, hospice, pool nursing or agency setting.

James R. Tripp – Veterinarian, Sparta. The Veterinary Examining Board reprimanded James R. Tripp, and ordered him to pay costs of $730. Tripp must also, among other things, complete remedial education in anesthesia options, and recordkeeping. Tripp failed to adequately monitor and record the administration of anesthesia for a dog on which he was performing surgery.
Dated: May 16, 2008. Wis. Stat. s. 453.04, and Wis. Adm. Code ss. VE 7.06(1), 7.03 and 7.06(15).