Heather Broaddus

The meeting addressed several substantive items. The Board reviewed and discussed an investigation concerning Complaint No. 25-14-C involving Dr. Sarah Ahn, focusing on patient discharge procedures and concerns regarding medical record documentation, ultimately issuing a non-disciplinary Letter of Concern. License applications for Dr. Lauren Likewise and Dr. Desiree Major were conditionally approved pending completion of their residencies, while Dr. Gerlad Merritt's application was approved outright upon fee payment. Board elections were held for the 2026 Board President and Secretary. The Board tabled an agenda item regarding training and overview of complaint adjudication. An update was received regarding the December 10, 2025, Federation of Podiatric Medical Boards meeting. Furthermore, the Board determined that it would not accept unsecured emails or PDFs as official medical licensing examination score reports, deciding to direct staff to communicate concerns regarding confidentiality and examination integrity to Meazure Learning and the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners. The Executive Director provided updates on conflict disclosure forms, the 2026 legislative session, building remediation timelines, and the current budget and complaint log.

The Board meeting involved several key actions and discussions. The primary focus was an investigation file concerning Dr. Steven O'Bryant, where deliberation included concerns regarding staff documentation of patient phone calls and communication about a surgical delay. The Board unanimously voted to issue a non-disciplinary Letter of Concern to Dr. O'Bryant regarding these issues. Additionally, the Board approved a license application for Dr. Ashlee Mackens, contingent upon her residency completion. The Board also reviewed information regarding allegations of potential unprofessional conduct against Drs. R.A. and A.L. concerning non-referrals to orthotic companies, ultimately determining no violation of statute or rule and taking no action. The Executive Director reported on performance evaluations, legislation for the Interstate Podiatric Medical Licensing Compact, the resolution of a previous complaint involving Dr. Hayden Poulson, and provided updates on office remediation and the current budget.

The meeting agenda includes several items for review, discussion, and possible action. Key discussion points involve the review and potential action on investigation files, including Complaint No. 25-14-C involving Sarah Ahn, DPM. The Board will also discuss and possibly vote on the issuance of new podiatry licenses for Lauren Likewise, Desiree Major, and Gerald Merritt. Furthermore, the agenda provides for Board elections for President and Secretary, a presentation from the Attorney General's Office regarding complaint adjudication training, an update on the December 10, 2025, Federation of Podiatric Medical Boards meeting, and review of score report policies from the Federation and the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners. The Executive Director will provide updates on budget, agency operations, complaint log, and e-licensing.

The Board addressed several complaints, resulting in a non-disciplinary order for continuing education for Dr. Poulson regarding medical record keeping, and a Letter of Concern to Dr. Toth for surgical consent issues. Complaints against Dr. Wolfrum, Dr. Gifford, and Dr. Shih were dismissed. The Board approved applications for Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Tehrani, and conditionally approved Dr. Tran's application pending residency completion. An initial analysis of a complaint against Dr. Effrein was conducted, and the matter was dismissed. The Board discussed and approved draft language related to the Interstate Podiatric Medical License Compact and reviewed its current license renewal cycle, deciding to continue discussing moving to a biennial renewal cycle. Updates were provided on the Board's database platform, budget, and complaint log.

The meeting included discussions and actions on various topics. The board addressed Complaint No. 25-11-C; Gregory Loo, DPM, ultimately deciding to dismiss it. They reviewed and acted on the renewal application of Dennis Pena, DPM, approving it with a Letter of Concern for failing to complete opioid-related continuing education within the required timeframe. A position related to the Interstate Podiatric Medical License Compact was discussed, leading to a decision to support the Arizona Foot and Ankle Medical Association in introducing compact legislation for the 2026 legislative session. The board also considered a proposal to change the board's license renewal cycle to biennial, deciding to continue researching the matter. An update was provided by the Assistant Attorney General regarding recent legislation, and the Executive Director presented reports on various topics, including the release of Ladislave Kuchar, DPM from a non-disciplinary order, the 2026 meeting calendar, the current budget, and the complaint log.