Julie Roy

This matter came before a Panel of the Discipline Committee on May 17, 2002.

Background
Ms. Roy started working with a company in the Ottawa area in February 1999. In July of 2000 Ms. Roy’s contract was renewed with her employer. Because of difficulties with time management, documentation and professional relationships, this renewal was on the basis of a three-month probationary period. During this period Ms. Roy reported that things were going well. This representation was false as she was having some difficulties including not seeing all of her clients as planned and charting. In December of 2000, Ms. Roy was to bring in all of her charts for a random audit. She only brought in about a third of her more complete charts and represented those as all of her charts. In February of 2001, her employer was advised of concerns from client representatives that Ms. Roy was not visiting her clients. After a number of meetings with Ms. Roy to discuss these and other concerns, Ms. Roy’s employment ended on or about February 26, 2001.

The Allegations and Agreed Facts
Ms. Roy:
  1. billed for services that were not rendered, or were not rendered as indicated by her records or did not comply with billing expectations.
  2. failed to visit clients and vendors as planned and as indicated by her assessments and the clients’ conditions,
  3. inadequately documented her interventions and cases,
  4. made false and misleading statements and representations to her employer, including doing so knowingly, in respect of these matters, and
  5. failed to manage her practice in a professional manner.
The Member’s Plea
Ms. Roy admitted the allegations and the fact that her conduct constituted professional misconduct.

Decision
The Panel agreed that Ms. Roy’s conduct constituted professional misconduct.

Penalty and Costs
Counsel for the College advised the panel that a Joint Submission on Order had been agreed upon. The Joint Submission on Order is as follows:
  1. That the Registrar suspend Ms. Roy’s certificate of registration for a period of six months. Three months of that suspension shall itself be suspended upon successful completion of the terms, conditions and limitation set out in paragraph 2. The suspension shall commence on a date to be fixed by the Registrar and that it is at least three months from today’s date.
  2. That the Registrar impose a term, condition and limitation on her certificate of registration that Ms. Roy successfully complete, in the opinion of the Registrar, an audit and mentoring program with a supervisor acceptable to the Registrar who has signed a mentorship agreement specified by the Registrar (who might be a supervisor at her current employer) and who will:
    1. Review her charts and billing records at least once every three months over the next two years to ensure that they are accurate and complete and meet the needs of her clients;
    2. Each review will involve a spot audit with clients for at least three billings to confirm that visits were provided as billed and documented;
    3. Each review will involve conferring with at least two colleagues who work with Ms. Roy who are selected by the mentor, to obtain information about their perceptions of her work;
    4. For each review, the mentor shall deliver a written report to the Registrar and Ms. Roy setting out the review process that was followed, the findings of the mentor and any recommendations for improvement by Ms. Roy.

      Ms. Roy will be responsible for the costs of the audit and mentoring program. If Ms. Roy ceases her employment, the audit and mentoring program shall be interrupted until a new audit mentoring program, acceptable to the Registrar, is established to complete the two years.

  3. That the Registrar impose a term, condition and limitation on her certificate of registration that Ms. Roy cooperate fully with a referral to the Quality Assurance Committee by the Registrar for a peer review and remediation.
  4. That the Registrar impose a term, condition and limitation on her certificate of registration that Ms. Roy provide the College with written proof, in the form of a signed letter of acknowledgement from her supervisor at her then employer(s) that the employer(s) has received a copy of the decision and reasons of the Discipline Committee within 30 days of their becoming final.
  5. That Ms. Roy be required to attend before a panel of the Discipline Committee to be reprimanded, the fact of which will be recorded on the public portion of the College register.
  6. That Ms. Roy pay the College $5,000 towards the costs and expenses of the College’s investigation and prosecution in equal monthly instalments over a period of twenty months (excluding the months of her suspension) beginning in the month following this order.
The case presented many very serious aggravating factors including the fact that: (1) the actions continued despite warnings and supervision from her employer; (2) Ms. Roy’s clients were at risk; and (3) over a period of months, Ms. Roy did not maintain a transparent practice and was dishonest.

The panel acknowledges that the penalty would have been more severe, had there not been the mitigating factors which include the fact that: (1) this first finding of professional misconduct came early in Ms. Roy’s professional career: (2) she was suffering from personal issues; and (3) she cooperated with the College and by agreeing to the facts and a proposed penalty, has accepted responsibility for her actions and has avoided unnecessary expense to the College.

The penalty sufficiently recognizes the seriousness of the acts of misconduct, while also taking into account: (1) the mitigating factors in the case; (2) addressing the need for specific and general deterrence; and (3) initiating a rehabilitative component for the Member. The panel concluded that the proposed penalty is reasonable, it recognizes and gives an appropriate message to the audiences involved (the public, the profession, and Ms. Roy), and it is therefore in the public interest.

In addition to appearing on the website, this summary will be available in the annual report. Please feel free to contact the Manager of Investigations & Resolutions should you require additional information.