The Stadter Center is an inpatient, residential and partial psychiatric facility for kids, teens and adults in Grand Forks, ND.
The CEO and medical director has a past history that includes a sanction for prescribing excessive amounts of atypical antipsychotics to kids. He was sanctioned by the state of North Dakota medical board in March 2008.
Sometimes, people say in school environments that the classroom reflects the teacher. It can be organized, tidy, exhilarating learning areas; or it can be a disaster out of control.
Could the Stadter Center reflect (in this case....an inpatient psych care facility) the CEO/Medical director? and his beliefs or ideas on the use of medications?
Here's a few links to give some thought:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/526162/stadter_center_plan_of_action_approved_new_violations_reported_as/index.html
http://psychwatch.blogspot.com/2008/03/state-board-bans-psychiatrist-from.html
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
State board bans psychiatrist from prescribing meds to children
From a Report in the Grand Forks Herald
Dr. Thomas Peterson, a Grand Forks psychiatrist who is CEO and medical director of the Richard P. Stadter Center, cannot prescribe psychotropic medications to children after the North Dakota State Board of Medical Examiners found he overprescribed doses to two children younger than 12.
“Peterson was found to have prescribed excessive amounts of atypical antipsychotic medications to two children under his care,” according to Duane Houdek, executive secretary for the state board. The stipulation to Peterson’s license was made during the board’s regular meeting Friday in Bismarck.
These atypical antipsychotic medications include Risperdal, Zyprexa, Geodon and Seroquel.
[...]
The board found, and Peterson agreed, that he’d prescribed to one child “such an excessive amount of atypical antipsychotic medications (that) are beyond the acceptable standards of prescriptive practice for a child in this age group.” For the other child, the board found he prescribed a “particular combination of medications” that was “injudicious and an excessive use of atypical antipsychotics.”
Specific information, such as who filed the complaints, is not publicly available. Both complaints are from incidents that occurred in 2006, but Houdek declined to say when the complaints were filed with the board. “We act on them as soon as we get them,” he said.
On Tuesday, Houdek provided the Herald with a copy of an amended complaint filed Jan. 25 detailing specific medications and dosages each child was prescribed. The complaint asked for Peterson’s license to be revoked, but the parties reached an agreement Feb. 19 to place the restriction on Peterson’s license until he can show he attended the class on how to dose children.
Houdek said the board “didn’t have information of immediate harm” to the two children, identified in the complaint only as Patient A and Patient B.
Details, According to the complaint:
Patient A — whose birth date is redacted from the complaint, but who officials say is younger than 12 — was admitted to the Stadter Center under Peterson’s care and diagnosed with ADHD and bipolar disorder. The child had “suicidal threats, physical aggression toward his mom and trouble sleeping at night,” and medication sheets indicated the child’s diagnosis as nonspecific depression.
“During (Patient A’s) hospitalization, he continued to struggle with aggression and other behavior issues, but at no time was there any documentation of psychotic symptoms, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia or any other symptoms suggestive of manic spells.”
But the child was prescribed antipsychotics, including Seroquel, Risperdal and Zyprexa.
Patient A continued to take the medications during hospitalization and when discharged from the center.
Patient B, whose age also was redacted from the complaint, was admitted to the Stadter Center under Peterson’s care after “exhibit(ing) agitation, aggression and behavior issues at home and in the school setting.”
This child was diagnosed with “bipolar disorder, mixed, severe, pervasive developmental disorder and borderline intellectual functioning.”
The child already was taking two atypical antipsychotic medications and two mood stabilizers when admitted to the center for care. The child’s mother “called and complained to (Peterson) about (Patient B) being on too many medications, and on one occasion, even requested a transfer to a different facility.”
The child was discharged “on a high dose of Depakote” which equaled “1,375 milligrams, higher than commonly used for a 5 year old (sic)” and two separate prescriptions of Geodon (an antipsychotic medication). Peterson “in effect, sent (Patient B) home with two atypical antipsychotic medications, which is injudicious and an excessive use” of them, according to the complaint.
Peterson and the board agreed that his authority to prescribe these medications to children would be suspended at the end of February, according to the complaint. The board didn’t act on the agreement until Friday.
Peterson “looks forward to appearing before the board at a special telephone hearing on his petition to satisfy the board that he has complied with the agreement,” according to Schreiner.
The board hadn’t received a copy of the petition for review Tuesday afternoon, so it was hard to say when a special hearing would be scheduled, Houdek said.
Disciplined before
Peterson has been disciplined by the board before, Houdek said.
He received a “letter of censure” from the board after the 1997 flood “because he had put out an ad that implied the offices of other psychiatrists were closed,” Houdek said.
Once a review is complete, and if the board reinstates Peterson’s license with no restrictions, Peterson’s license will remain on probation for three years.
Peterson has been licensed to practice in North Dakota since 1991, according to Houdek.
Dr. Thomas Peterson, MD, is a founding partner, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of The Stadter Center. Dr. Peterson received his Medical Doctorate at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine in Grand Forks, North Dakota. His specialty is General Psychiatry and he completed his Psychiatry Resident Program in 1994 at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine. After founding the Center of Psychiatric Care, a private outpatient mental health clinic, he in conjunction with others, founded The Stadter Center, a private inpatient mental health hospital, which opened in May of 2000. Dr. Peterson is the hospital's Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director, and works closely with the hospital's administrative work team. A member of the American Psychiatric Association, he received his Board Certification in Psychiatry in 1996. A true entrepreneur, Dr. Peterson is involved in the development of other medical projects to enhance the medical park upon which The Stadter Center currently resides.
http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-thomas-peterson-y688r/background-check
Dr.Thomas M Peterson
Sanction History Found
HealthGrades has found sanction history for Dr. Peterson.
Misprescribing or Overprescribing Drugs (3/14/08)
Action Taken: Probation
Issued To: Dr. Thomas Michael Peterson; License # 6217
Nature of Complaint:
The physician prescribed excessive amounts of atypical antipsychotic medications to two children under the physician's care.
Action Taken:
The board has placed the physician's license to practice medicine in the State of North Dakota on Probation for a period of three years subject to the following terms and conditions:
The physician is prohibited from prescribing psychotropic medications to children and adolescents under the age of eighteen.
The physician shall complete a board approved prescribing course on the subject of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
April 2, 2008
The physician has attended the required board approved psychopharmacology course.
The physician is no longer prohibited from the prescribing of psychotropic medications to children and adolescents under the age of eighteen. The physician is able to practice medicine in the State of North Dakota at a full clinical practice level.
November 20, 2009-License Restored
The physician has satisfied the terms and conditions of his probation. The North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners has restored the physician's license to practice medicine in the State of North Dakota to an unconditional status.
State: North Dakota
Issued By: State of North Dakota
So, with this background it makes me wonder what his staff at the treatment center prescribe like, and does his role there remain as an admin or does he treat patients, and furthermore, how are his prescribing practices now? does he or anyone at the center over-prescribe antipsychotics? or prescribe them off-label?
My guess is that the antipsychotics that seem to be the go-to-meds today, are being used..... as anxiety agents and antidepressants. Every day this goes on in many cities, with hospitals often called behavioral treatment centers, etc. I saw something like this myself, where my own teen was over-prescribed boatloads of psych meds in high doses. I wish this wasn't the status quo, but it is a sign of the times as well as America's medication based psychiatric paradigm.
Who suffers in the end?
*Update One of the other doctors listed as staff is in Dollars for Docs Dr. Derek Carlson has a special interest in treating Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD :
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