Doctor Faced Sanction By State Medical Board

A mother wants answers from Memorial Hospital after she learned what she said is disturbing information about the doctor who treated her infant son.

Diane, who doesn’t want her last name used, went to Memorial Hospital’s Urgent Care off Janitell Road in August.

“He seemed friendly and seemed like he knew what he was doing,” said Diane.

After being treated, she was asked to sign a document that stated Dr. Richard Kouri wasn’t alone with her child and that another person was present at the time of the visit.

“At the time, I thought it was strange,” said Diane, but she said she shrugged it off as normal paperwork to protect the doctor.

She didn’t realize the state board of licensing placed sanctions against Kouri in 2008 until her medical insurance company, Tricare, refused to pay the medical visit.

“(When) I called to ask, (Tricare) said they weren’t going to pay because he wasn’t licensed,” said Diane.

She was baffled about how a doctor with the city’s largest hospital could not be licensed. She called Memorial to get answers, but she said Memorial told her that the situation was a mixup and that it would simply zero out the balance.

“It was very strange,” said Diane. When she inquired whether Kouri was licensed by the state, a Memorial representative told her yes, but that he isn’t allowed to bill Tricare.

Diane wanted more information and checked out the state’s licensing board to verify if Kouri is licensed.

After an online search, she learned that Kouri was sanctioned by the state’s medical board for kissing a young girl on the lips while in his examining office. The state?s licensing board claimed the girl, who was a minor at the time, was in the examining room with her parents.

Documents show the parents also complained about Kouri telling sexually explicit jokes during the visit.

Kouri admitted to the state board that he did kiss the girl and did tell the jokes and agreed to seek treatment and monitoring.

According to DOCUMENTS obtained by TARGET 13, Kouri was placed on probation for five years, starting in May 2009.

Part of the requirement for him to keep his medical license is that he isn’t to be left alone with a minor or any female patients. The stipulation order requires him to have a chaperone anytime he is left alone with a child or a female patient.

Kouri, who is a pediatrician, has been complying with those orders, according to Memorial Hospital. In a statement to TARGET 13 spokesman Brian Newsome said, “Patient safety is Memorial’s top priority (to) determine which physicians receive credentials to work in our facility.”

Newsome wrote that the hospital relies on a strict set of federal, state and hospital regulations to ensure patients are safe.

“To date, Dr. Kouri has complied with all conditions required to maintain his license. This includes having a chaperone in the room at all times and paying for a professional monitoring service to audit charts and oversee compliance,” the statement reads.

Memorial added that is regrets that Diane was made uncomfortable by the state’s investigation into Kouri’s conduct, but that it feels he is delivering safe and appropriate care.

Diane feels patients should be alerted to Kouri’s past before they enter the examination room.

Dr. Kouri didn’t return TARGET 13’s repeated calls to get his side of the story.

His patients did defend him saying he’s a guy with a kind heart who likes to joke around. “I trust him,” said former patient Ryan Romero, who now is an adult. He told TARGET 13 that his daughter will be seeing him once she is born.

Others said that he would also tell jokes but they weren’t malicious, but in fun.

Memorial Health Statement:

Patient safety is Memorial?s top priority in determining which physicians receive credentials to work in our facilities.

There are more than 800 physicians who are authorized to treat patients at Memorial, and we rely on a strict set of federal, state and hospital regulations and policies to ensure patients are safe. Memorial, like all Colorado hospitals, provides credentials to physicians based primarily on their standing with the Colorado Board of Medical Examiners.

Dr. Richard Kouri, a pediatrician who is in private practice, works two weekends a month in Memorial?s Urgent Care at Circle Square. The state board has concluded Dr. Kouri can provide safe care to patients, so long as he complies with a strict list of conditions. This conclusion by the state was reached after an extensive investigation into these allegations of misconduct.

Memorial follows all rules and requirements of the state board, and we have a Medical Executive Committee that helps ensure compliance.

To date, Dr. Kouri has complied with all conditions required to maintain his license. This includes having a chaperone in the room at all times and paying for a professional monitoring service to audit charts and oversee compliance.

Memorial regrets that an urgent care visitor was made uncomfortable by the state?s past investigation into Dr. Kouri?s conduct, but based on careful review it appears he is delivering safe and appropriate care.

Brian Newsome Senior Public Relations Specialist Memorial Health System

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