A Maple Ridge psychiatrist has been placed on the conditional-disciplined class of registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. after admitting to failing to maintain professional boundaries with a patient.
Dr. Lyn Melvina Killick entered into a business relationship with a patient when she hired that person to do landscaping and excavation work at her personal home, said a release from the college Monday.
That violated a section of the college’s standards titled Boundary Violations in the Patient-Physician Relationship.
After receiving a disciplinary citation, Killick agreed to a formal reprimand by the college and to having her registration class changed from full-speciality class to conditional-disciplined.
It’s not known for how long that status that will remain.
Killick has also consented to continuing medical education in the areas of ethics, boundaries and professionalism, and to comply with any monitoring of her practice required by the college.
According to the college’s guidelines, “clear professional boundaries ensure the protection of both patients and physicians,” and adds that it’s the physician’s responsibility to maintain professional boundaries.
It says that a physician is expected to have only a professional relationship with a patient, and that other interactions may compromise the patient-physician relationship.
It adds that entering into a business relationship with a patient is an example of a boundary violation between physician and patient.