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Scottsdale,
Ariz. - The Arizona Medical Board,
meeting to consider summary action via conference
telephone call, voted today to suspend the medical
licenses of two Arizona doctors. The suspensions
are effective as soon as the doctors are notified.
The two physicians are Wahid Abdelhamid Ibrahim,
M.D., of Kingman, Arizona, and Kenley M. Remen, M.D.,
of Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Timothy C. Miller, Executive Director of the Arizona
Medical Board, said, "When the Board staff believes
a physician poses an imminent threat to the public’s
safety and welfare, the Board takes prompt action
to remove the threat and protect the public."
On January 18, 2005, the Arizona Medical Board issued
an Interim Order that Dr. Ibrahim undergo an inpatient
evaluation at the Betty Ford Clinic. Dr. Ibrahim
had entered the Board's Monitored Aftercare Program
in February 2003 following treatment. The January
evaluation was to determine whether he had relapsed.
The Betty Ford Clinic evaluation concluded that Dr.
Ibrahim has significant cognitive deficiencies and
was not safe to practice medicine. In addition, Arizona
Medical Board staff said Dr. Ibrahim had not been
compliant with the terms of his Monitored Aftercare
Program, including failure to submit to random bodily
fluid testing on several occasions. Board staff recommended
summary suspension of Dr. Ibrahim's license.
On March 17, 2005, the Arizona Medical Board staff
received information from Maricopa Integrated Health
Systems, stating that Dr. Kenley Remen had been involuntarily
hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
Prior to his court-ordered evaluation and treatment,
Dr. Remen was removed by security officials from
two hospitals - Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and University
Medical Center in Tucson - which he visited without
invitation or appointment to teach the doctors there
how to reverse the effects of coronary heart disease
and prostate cancer through yoga and spiritual healing.
On March 4, 2005, a Maricopa County Superior Court
found clear and convincing evidence that Dr. Remen
is a danger to himself and others as a result of
a mental disorder and ordered him to undergo psychiatric
treatment for at least one year. Based on this information,
Board staff said Dr. Remen poses an imminent threat
to the public health and safety, and recommended
summary suspension of his medical license.
Since becoming the Executive Director of the Arizona
Medical Board in December, Miller said new leadership
is working to speed up the investigative process. "In
addition to taking prompt action when necessary," Miller
noted, "Board staff has reduced the average
time for completing routine investigations by 34
days."
The Arizona Medical Board offices are located at
9545 E. Doubletree Ranch Road in Scottsdale
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