Dr. Charles Nicholas Rathé: Belle River Family Doctor — Abuse, Addiction, and Licence Revocation

Charles Nicholas Rathé graduated from the University of Toronto medical school in 1988 and built a family practice on Bloor Street in Toronto. In 2001 he relocated to Belle River, a small underserviced community east of Windsor, where doctors were in short supply. His practice quickly grew to roughly 5,000 patients, and he was reportedly seeing 60 to 80 patients a day, six days a week.

2002–2003: Abuse of Patients and a Near-Fatal Relapse

Rathé had a history of drug addiction dating to his student days and had stayed clean for roughly a decade after an earlier period of drug use in Toronto in the early 1990s. Under the pressure of his overloaded Belle River practice, he relapsed in November 2002 and, over a four-month binge, was injecting opioids obtained from his own patients — sometimes several times a day — using his office washroom. He has said he would overprescribe narcotics and skim the surplus, or use drugs patients returned to him. The relapse ended in March 2003 when he overdosed on Dilaudid in his office washroom and nearly died.

During this period, Rathé became verbally abusive toward at least ten patients — swearing at them, calling an elderly patient's family "assholes," telling a 70-year-old patient worried about her white blood cell count that people like her made his job "miserable," and "firing" patients (he dismissed several hundred from his practice in total) for asking questions about their own care. He was also abusive toward College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) staff during their investigation, leaving profane voicemails, referring to the Italian-background registrar as "Mafia man," and telling a staff member "you can run, but you can't hide."

2005–2006: First Discipline Case

At an August 2005 CPSO disciplinary hearing, Rathé pleaded no contest to charges of conduct unbecoming a physician arising from his treatment of the ten patients and college staff, while contesting separate allegations that he had pressured patients into using a pharmacy next to his clinic that was co-owned by a friend. He testified that his conduct was tied to the addiction relapse and told the panel he had since been treated at the Betty Ford Center. On February 1, 2006, the Discipline Committee found he had committed professional misconduct. On August 22, 2006, the Committee ordered that he be reprimanded, pay a $5,000 fine, and serve a six-month suspension (four months of which were suspended on completion of an anger-management program and a follow-up program in Illinois), along with multi-year monitoring conditions covering psychiatric treatment, addiction-program compliance, and a practice-management monitor. Rathé appealed to the Divisional Court in September 2006; the appeal was stayed pending the outcome and was ultimately dismissed by consent of both parties in September 2010, putting the 2006 order into effect years after it was made.

2011–2013: Sexual Abuse Finding and Revocation

A second, separate CPSO discipline case followed. On May 31, 2011, the Discipline Committee found that Rathé had failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession, engaged in conduct that would reasonably be regarded as disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional, engaged in conduct unbecoming a physician (in connection with his behaviour at a school concert), and — most seriously — had sexually abused a patient. Rathé appealed the finding to the Divisional Court. On January 24, 2012, the Discipline Committee ordered that he be reprimanded, that the Registrar revoke his certificate of registration effective immediately, and that he reimburse the College $16,060 for funding it had provided the patient for therapy and counselling, plus $23,725 in costs. Rathé appealed that order as well. On April 2, 2013, the Ontario Divisional Court dismissed both of his appeals (Rathé v. College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, 2013 ONSC 821), finding the Discipline Committee's decisions reasonable, including its refusal to sever the sexual-abuse allegation from the other charges.

CPSO's public register lists Rathé's certificate of registration as revoked effective January 24, 2012, and his status remains permanently inactive.

Timeline

• 1988Graduates from University of Toronto medical school; begins practice on Bloor Street, Toronto.
• 2001Relocates practice to Belle River, Ontario, near Windsor; patient roster grows to roughly 5,000.
• Nov 2002 – Mar 2003Relapses into opioid addiction; verbally abuses at least ten patients and CPSO staff during the same period.
• Mar 2003Overdoses on Dilaudid in his office washroom; later treated at the Betty Ford Center.
• Aug–Sep 2005CPSO disciplinary hearing; pleads no contest to conduct-unbecoming charges.
• Feb 1, 2006Discipline Committee finds professional misconduct.
• Aug 22, 2006Ordered reprimanded, fined $5,000, and given a six-month suspension (four months conditional) plus multi-year monitoring conditions.
• Sep 2010Divisional Court dismisses his 2006 appeal by consent; the 2006 order takes effect.
• May 31, 2011Second Discipline Committee case finds Rathé sexually abused a patient, among other misconduct findings.
• Jan 24, 2012Discipline Committee orders his certificate of registration revoked, plus reimbursement of $16,060 and $23,725 in costs.
• Apr 2, 2013Divisional Court dismisses both of his appeals (2013 ONSC 821); revocation stands.