- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
State Medical Board revokes license of contract doctor who had been working in Lakeport
On Friday, the Medical Board issued the decision regarding the license of David Duncan House, 63.
The Medical Board’s notice said that it had automatically revoked the physician’s and surgeon’s certificate issued to House after he was convicted in Orange County on Nov. 4 of felony sexual battery and a second charge of sexual exploitation of a patient, a misdemeanor.
At that court appearance, House withdrew his not guilty pleas to those two charges and then entered guilty pleas to each, according to court records.
The court placed House on one year of probation — he had faced up to four years in state prison — and ordered him to serve 90 days in jail beginning on April 15. Before then, he must complete 45 days of home confinement.
He also was ordered to register as a sex offender for the felony sexual battery conviction.
Under Business and Professions Code Section 2232, the Medical Board is required to automatically revoke the license of any person who is required to register as a sex offender, regardless of whether the related conviction has been appealed.
House graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine in 1985. Medical Board records show that it issued House’s license in 1986.
The incidents that led to House’s prosecution occurred in 2016 and he was charged in 2018.
Based on court and medical practice records, it appears that it was after he was charged that House came to Lake County, but it is not clear precisely when.
House’s last record of practice was listed at 801 11th St. in Lakeport, the Adventist Health Clear Lake Medical Office.
Until recently, House’s profile had been featured on the Adventist website, but was no longer listed on Friday.
“Dr. House provided services to the Lakeport clinic through a contract with a medical group,” Kim Lewis, communication manager for Adventist Health Clear Lake, told Lake County News.
“Medical groups employ providers, not Adventist Health, and he is no longer providing services for us. When he provided contracted services for us, we were never notified that there was an issue with his patient care or safety,” Lewis said.
Case involved Southern California patient
The case for which House was charged and convicted was from August 2016 when he was practicing in Mission Viejo, specializing in family medicine.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said House was conducting a medical examination on a female patient for a skin allergy. The patient said he inappropriately touched her on several parts of her body, including conducting a fraudulent breast examination by reaching under her dress and groping her without any medical justification.
The patient reported the assault to the Medical Board’s Central Complaint Unit, with the Medical Board asking the Department of Consumer Affairs to investigate it. The case was then referred to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, which charged House in February 2018 and arraigned in July of that year.
In May of 2018, a Southern California judge granted an order prohibiting House from seeing any female patients without a third party chaperon for the duration of the criminal proceedings in Orange County.
The order was requested by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Medical Board of California, the district attorney’s office said.
Although his license has been revoked, the Business and Professions Code provides for House to be able to request a hearing within 30 days of his license revocation, the Medical Board’s notice said.
However, court records noted that conditions of the Nov. 4 sentencing included that House agreed to surrender his medical license and not seek reinstatement or practice medicine for the remainder of his life.
If he successfully completes his probation and has no new law violations, he may withdraw his guilty verdict on the felony sexual battery charge, have it dismissed or vacated and then no longer be required to register as a sex offender.
House is required to deliver his wall and pocket license certificate to the Medical Board within 15 days of the revocation order, which was dated Dec. 31.
The Medical Board’s online records show no previous administrative or disciplinary actions against House.
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