Four discipline cases involving local medical pros in last two years

LACONIA — An anesthesiologist accused of being under the influence of an intoxicant while working on patients gave up her doctor’s license in one of four cases involving local medical professionals handled by the state Board of Medicine over the last two years.

The board has updated its website to include all cases handled in 2018. There were about 40 disciplinary cases statewide in 2017 and 2018 combined.

Nancy A. Kressin stated in a document filed last Sept. 4 that she had no intention to again seek a medical license in New Hampshire or elsewhere. She also denied wrongdoing.

“I deny, and admit to no violations of any state statutes, rules or ethical provisions, but recognize that the fact of my Voluntary Surrender of License will be distributed by the board as a disciplinary action," she stated.

She acknowledged that she was giving up her license in settlement of misconduct allegations that she:

— Reported to work at the Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia on Sept. 15, 2017, and provided anesthesia services to a patient or patients while under the influence of and/or impaired by an intoxicating substance or substances.

— Failed to submit complete and truthful information in a written response to the allegations, and/or failed to cooperate in the board’s investigation by refusing to be interviewed.

Kressin does not have a listed telephone number and attempts to reach her for comment on Friday were unsuccessful.

The other case before the board last year involved physician’s assistant Gayle Spelman, who has worked in Tilton. The board found that she failed to report to the board an employment termination and change in supervision, that she practiced for a time without a valid license and that she misrepresented her license status to an employer. She received a reprimand.

On Friday, she characterized the board’s action as “very fair.”

In 2017, there were two cases involving local doctors.

Dr. Anthony Salerni, of Gilford, entered into a settlement agreement with the board and stipulated that if a disciplinary hearing were to take place it would show he engaged in professional misconduct in the case of a patient who developed a serious infection after back surgery.

As part of the settlement, he was reprimanded, fined $1,000 and required to participate in six hours of continuing medical education in managing post-operative infections.

He did not immediately return a message left for comment.

In the other 2017 case, the board lifted restrictions on Dr. Michael Dipre, an internal medicine specialist at the Laconia Clinic, after he completed a program at the Center for Personalized Education for Physicians as mandated by a 2013 settlement agreement.

In that agreement he did not deny or admit to the allegations against him, but stipulated that if a disciplinary hearing took place, the board would conclude he had engaged in professional misconduct and violated clinical guidelines for use of opioids in pain not associated with cancer.

Dipre did not immediately return a call for comment.

Meanwhile, Dipre is named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by Belknap County and five other counties against pharmaceutical companies, distributors, pharmacy chains and physicians for allegedly contributing to the opioid epidemic.

“Dr. Dipre has been disciplined on multiple occasions for improper prescribing of opioids, due to overprescribing and improper maintenance of records indicating why these high volumes were prescribed. Dr. Dipre was instrumental in promoting opioids for sale in Belknap County and throughout New Hampshire,” the suit states.

On Thursday, Gov. Chris Sununu signed an executive order creating an advisory council that will use New Hampshire insurance claims data to analyze patterns in which opioids are prescribed in an effort to set policies that could help in the fight against substance abuse.