The Board of Osteopathic Licensure restored Paul Gosselin’s license to practice medicine on June 15. It had been suspended in November 2021 over allegations Gosselin was writing medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccinations without evaluating patients or obtaining their medical records.
Gosselin’s license was suspended for 30 days on November 18, 2021. According to the suspension, the board found Gosselin had “engaged in conduct that constitutes fraud or deceit” as outlined in state statute.
Gosselin signed an interim consent agreement on December 2, 2021 that addressed disciplinary actions taken to continue the suspension of his medical license until the matter was resolved by an adjudicatory hearing.
According to the document, Gosselin agreed to the continued suspension of his license, an action that was not appealable.
At a board hearing held in April, Gosselin testified that he neither sought nor kept medical records from individuals claiming that previous health issues prevented them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gosselin, who runs the Patriots Health practice in Waterville, will have to complete 10 hours of continuing education on the topic of medical decision making and 10 hours on the topic of medical documentation. That training may be applied towards the biennial continuing medical education requirements for state medical licensure.
According to the order from the osteopathic medicine licensing board, Gosselin must also pay $1,000 for the cost of hearings held as part of the investigation into him. He is also not permitted to write any vaccine exemption letters and will be on probation for one year.
Hearings in the case were held on April 14, May 12, and June 9.
A complete explanation of the board’s decision will be posted following its next meeting, scheduled for July 14.
Gosselin has faced disciplinary action from the board several times in the past. In 2002, Gosselin entered into a consent agreement with the board, agreeing he demonstrated unprofessional conduct by calling two pharmacies and pretending to be his physician assistant in order to obtain prescription drugs for himself and by responding to emergency calls to care for a patient when he was not on call and after he had been drinking.
Gosselin agreed to receive treatment from a psychiatrist and professional counselor and oversight from a practice manager.
In 2011, Gosselin faced disciplinary actions after the board found he committed unprofessional conduct, wrongly treated an immediate family member, conducted an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female patient and disobeyed the board’s directive to obtain a mental evaluation.
Gosselin was issued a warning and was required to complete a course on professional boundaries and to comply with a 2010 order that he receive a mental evaluation.
Gosselin’s license was suspended in 2014 after he was charged with driving under the influence. Gosselin was found to have drugs, including morphine and methadone, in his system, but not alcohol. After a 90 day suspension for unprofessional conduct and for failing to disclose his arrest in the incident while applying to renew his license, Gosselin was placed on probation for five years and charged roughly $3,145 for the cost of the hearing.
Gosselin was found to have violated his probationary agreement in 2017, resulting in a suspension of his license from August 2017 to August 2018.
