SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A Team 10 investigation has found three physicians with a history of sexual misconduct were allowed to keep their medical licenses despite a state law touted as zero tolerance for doctors who cross the line with their patients.
“I think the medical board protects all doctors first and even though the mission statement says their primary purpose is to protect California consumers, they always try to protect the doctors first,” said Marian Hollingsworth, a patient safety advocate.
In July, Team 10 exposed a loophole in AB 1636, a state doctor sexual misconduct law that was sold to the public as a bill that would have zero tolerance for physicians who cross the line with their patients.
Despite the legislation, we found the Medical Board of California allowed a gynecologist who had sex with a patient to get his revoked license back.
Since our investigation aired, we’ve learned about three other physicians who were allowed to keep their medical licenses despite findings of sexual misconduct by the state.
Dr. Anthony Bianchi, who used to work in Fallbrook, still holds a medical license despite medical board findings that he committed sexual abuse and misconduct with three patients over a decade ago.
According to the regulator, in 2009, Bianchi pulled a razor from his pocket and told his patient he wanted to shave her genital area. He then said, "You have no idea what you do to me. I had to use a whole bottle of Vaseline.”
'It is mind-boggling'
A month later, the doctor didn’t wear gloves as he inserted his fingers into the woman’s vagina at a follow-up appointment, a disciplinary order shows.
The physician, who went to medical school at the University of Texas before moving to California, then pulled down his pants, exposed his erect penis and asked the woman to have sex with him, according to the medical board.
“He was just put on probation. It is mind-boggling,” said Hollingsworth.
In 2014, the Texas Medical Board revoked Bianchi's license after California banned him from seeing female patients for five years. He remains unable to practice in Texas.
Hollingsworth said it speaks volumes that another state revoked the physician’s license based solely on his conduct in California.
"If other states are revoking, you would expect California to do the same thing."
The medical board told Team 10 Bianchi completed probation in 2021 and said AB 1636 doesn’t apply to the physician.
The law, which came into effect in 2023, requires the board not to reinstate a medical license of a doctor who surrendered their license after being found to commit sexual abuse or misconduct with a patient.
Doctors can practice out of state
At the time the law came into force, the bill’s author Senator Akilah Weber Pierson said the legislation would preserve confidence in the medical profession “by ensuring physicians convicted of sexual misconduct would automatically have their license revoked and cannot acquire or have it reinstated.”
But Team 10’s July investigation found weeks after the bill became law, the medical board reinstated the license of Dr. Austin Kooba, a gynecologist who had sex with a patient.
We’ve since learned a California physician, who was accused of sexual misconduct and gross negligence, was allowed to move to Florida, where his license is listed as clear.
Dr. Samer Kabbani started at a woman’s breasts and tried to kiss her on the lips, according to a 2023 accusation from California’s medical board.
The woman was a caregiver for an elderly patient of Kabbani’s.
Hollingsworth, who has spent over a decade advocating for tougher rules governing doctors, said she’s aware of other physicians who’ve been accused of sexual misconduct in California who move out of state to work.
In 2023, Team 10 revealed a doctor accused of placing a hidden camera in a hospital restroom in Colton, California moved to Florida, where his license was listed in good standing. The physician was fired a day after our report aired.
“I think the new states need to do a better job in reviewing the doctor's history. You need to check to make sure the doctor hasn't been disciplined,” said Hollingsworth.
The medical board told Team 10 it submits doctor discipline to the Federation of State Medical Boards, but doesn’t track if other states revoke a license based on California discipline for sexual misconduct.
Despite accusing Dr. Kabbani of sexual misconduct, the board told Team 10 AB 1636 doesn’t put his license in immediate jeopardy.
Board says it's following the law
“The accusation against Dr. Kabbani is related to allegations of unprofessional conduct and is not a criminal charge (which would be brought by a local prosecutor); therefore, the provisions of AB 1636 are not relevant to the revocation of his medical license,” said Aaron Bone, a spokesperson for the medical board.
He added AB 1636 could prevent Dr. Kabbani from requesting that his license be reinstated if it is revoked in connection with the accusation.
Hollingsworth said it’s rare for the medical board to revoke a physician’s license. Instead, they are usually placed on probation.
In another case uncovered by Team 10, the medical board allowed a Chula Vista doctor accused of touching two of his female colleagues’ breasts to keep working.
Dr. Carlos Carvalho lost hospital privileges at Scripps in 2019.
State records show he’s currently on probation and must have a chaperone present when seeing female patients.
Hollingsworth said all these examples are proof of just how lenient California’s medical board is.
“They're still trying to keep them in practice as long as they can,” she said.
The medical board told Team 10 it’s simply following the law and would enforce tougher rules if lawmakers passed them.
