LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Lackawanna dentist, Dr. Richard Charlap, is back under the microscope, as state lawmakers call for change and a full investigation of this dentist.
This reaction comes after the 7 News I-Team's report, Hypocritical Oath, exposed the dentist for wrongdoing.
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State Senator Patrick Gallivan, from Elma, is the ranking member on the Senate Health Committee. He's now calling for a full investigation of this dentist and is referring the case to the State Office of Professions.
"This has been out in the news now — I wouldn't be surprised if they don't initiate an investigation themselves. But now that it's been brought to our attention, it's appropriate for us to make a referral to them and we'll do that," Gallivan said.
"Carrie," Dr. Charlap's former medical assistant, says she's already done that. She says she even reported the dentist to the state while she was still employed by Dr. Charlap. Carrie was let go in December after three years of employment. She says seeing how a pregnant patient was treated was the final straw.
"We got really into it bad when I realized and confronted him on the fact that he had used -- purposely used -- the wrong anesthesia on a pregnant woman," Carrie said. "But I want to make sure this doesn't happen to anybody else."
Charlap has been allowed to practice, despite two stayed suspensions and two malpractice lawsuit settlements in the last ten years.
Republican Assemblyman David DiPietro, who represents Erie County says,
the failure of regulatory bodies to take decisive action against such flagrant misconduct raisees serious questions about the efficacy of our current oversight systems.." and is urging "regulatory authorities to take swift and decisive action to protect patients from further harm."
Gallivan says lawmakers should take a look at how this state oversight office is operating, to make sure they're doing their job.
"We all go to professionals. We send our family to professionals and we expect them to adhere to certain level of conduct and when you have a gross departure that puts you or your family — or the baby that you're carrying — in jeopardy, even though nothing happened in this case, that's a gross departure that I don't think is acceptable on any level and it doesn't make sense that a person should be continue to be allowed to practice if that's something they've done," Gallivan said.
Does this rise to the level of criminality? When it comes to the falsification of documents, Gallivan says it could be a crime and if so, the dentist should be prosecuted.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn would not comment for this story. The 7 News I-Team has learned, however, Patricia Pachetti, the pregnant patient at the center of this story, has already been in contact with the DA's office.
