The suspension of a licensed physician occurred on September 21, 2023, following allegations that he had violated a female patient.
Following an examination of a woman’s breast that was not required by medical necessity, the Arkansas State Medical Board issued a ruling on June 12 stating that Robert Steven Baker had caused “psychological harm” to the patient.
In the course of an eye exam that took place on September 16, 2023, Baker had requested that the woman “raise her shirt and remove her bra,” as stated in the documents that were submitted to the medical board.
He was told that she was uneasy, and she declined his offer. However, when she came back on September 21st, he had once more requested that she take off her shirt and bra. She did it. She did not receive a gown or any other form of covering at any point in time.
According to the evidence presented in the investigation, Baker is accused of stroking all sides of her breasts and nipples. There were two occasions when the victim asked Baker to let her to put her top back on after he had finished examining her breasts, but Baker did not grant her request.
According to the board, Baker’s actions “exhibits an ongoing danger to the public in his continued practice of medicine,” which is why they decided to suspend his license on an emergency basis.
Baker is said to have engaged in sexual contact with a patient while simultaneously maintaining a physician-client relationship, and the report from the board claims that Baker was either extremely careless or ignorant of ethical standards.
The majority of the board members voted in favor of suspending Baker’s license during the meeting as reported by NWA News.
An upcoming hearing for disciplinary action is scheduled to take place on August 7 in Little Rock.