‘I will destroy you financially and emotionally’: New documents show abusive messages from doctor who rented apartment to patient

Recently released tribunal documents have revealed the abusive text messages and emails sent by a Toronto doctor to a patient to whom he had rented an apartment, as well as other details of unprofessional conduct.In September, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario fined and suspended Dr. Jeffrey Martin Steinberg for failure maintain appropriate boundaries with several patients in relation to his rental property business and for “conduct unbecoming” of a physician.According to the findings of the tribunal, released earlier this month, Dr. Steinberg had rented an apartment to a patient referred to as “Patient A” in the documents. The patient had been with this doctor for 30 years and regularly saw Dr. Steinberg due to having multiple chronic health conditions.However, issues in the landlord-tenant arrangement arose around payment of rent and the condition of the property. Because of these issues, Dr. Steinberg terminated the patient-physician relationship and threatened to withhold prescriptions in 2021.Patient A continued to live in the apartment after the patient-physician relationship was terminated. Ultimately, the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) made an order requiring Patient A to leave the apartment.“The registrant engaged in conduct unbecoming a physician when he sent rude, demeaning and profane emails to Patient A after the termination of the physician-patient relationship and in the context of the ongoing tenancy dispute. His conduct reflects poorly on his integrity and has the potential to negatively affect the reputation of the profession,” the college’s tribunal said in its ruling.Before and after the LTB order, Dr. Steinberg sent a series of several abusive, profanity-laden text messages and emails to Patient A.“I’m going to call animal control. Because everyone considers you a 2 legged (sic) RODENT,” he wrote.“I will destroy you financially and emotionally. What you going to do when I come after you. Yo yo is the perfect name for you. Your daughter hates you. Your twin sister hates you. No one wants to talk to you. What a shame that you still exist,” he said in another message.After she had filed a complaint, the tribunal also found that Dr. Steinberg had sent more threatening messages to Patient A, intimidating her to withdraw her the complaint to the college (which he incorrectly refers to as the OMA).“You now report me to OMA . You live with the consequences of your actions,” he wrote.“F U. I don’t know what association your (sic) calling. If it’s medical I will relapse (sic) all your files to them., I discharged you a year ago. See what is going to happen to you. The medical association has nothing to do with this . . . LOST again. Keep trying bag lady . . .”Dr. Steinberg was also found to have threatened to inappropriately release Patient A’s medical records to third parties, telling the patient, “I will release your entire file to who ever (sic) asks for it. A lot of interesting info to read.”“You owe me 11k. I will let collection agency handle it. All your psychiatric history and drug history will be sent to them. Your (sic) a crackpot,” he wrote.‘I will not represcribe again’In a separate incident involving another patient, Dr. Steinberg had hired a contractor to do construction work for his rental properties (referred to in the documents as “Patient B”). Patient B’s parents, referred to as Patients C and D, were also enrolled as patients at Dr. Steinberg’s office. However, when a dispute arose between the physician and Patient B over the signing of a form, Dr. Steinberg told Patient B and his parents he would withhold medications from the family until the form was signed.“Tell pt I will not represcribe again. Find a new Dr,” Dr. Steinberg wrote on the authorization for Patient C’s prescription.The tribunal ruled Dr. Steinberg once again contravened the college’s policies on boundary violation by engaging into a business dealing with a patient and inappropriately ended the physician-patient relationships with Patients B, C and D.“The manner in which he ended the physician-patient relationship with these three patients contravened the College’s policy on ending such a relationship in that, among other things, he did not make prior efforts to resolve the situation in the best interests of the patients. We find his conduct disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional,” the tribunal wrote.Finally, in a third case involving another patient (referred to as “Patient E”), Dr. Steinberg was found to have spoken to her in an unprofessional manner the contravene the college’s policy on physician behaviour in the professional environment.This incident arose when Patient E went to refill her prescription at a pharmacy located on the same floor as Dr. Steinberg’s office. However, the patient returned to the doctor’s office to correct the dosage after realizing it was incorrect. In response, Dr. Steinberg yelled, “is this hard for you to understand? Am I speaking a different language?” and “Listen to me, what do you want? 100 or 50?”According to the tribunal, Dr. Steinberg’s yelling was so loud, the pharmacist could hear it from the pharmacy. The tribunal said the physician’s conduct was “far from respectful, courteous and civil.”As a result, the tribunal handed down an eight-month suspension and issued a fine of $6,000. Dr. Steinberg is also required to complete a college-approved course of medical ethics, professionalism, and communication within six months of the order.

‘I will destroy you financially and emotionally’: New documents show abusive messages from doctor who rented apartment to patient

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