Newsroom Archive
State Suspends Dr. Albert Dworkin’s License
State Suspends Dr. Albert Dworkin’s License in Wake of Gosnell Case
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Christopher Portante
(302) 739-4111
Immediate Suspension Executed for Dr. Albert Dworkin; Expedited Hearing Ordered for Apolinario
(DOVER, DE) – Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock and the President of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, Raymond L. Moore, Sr., today agreed to the Attorney General’s request for an emergency suspension of the medical license of Dr. Albert Dworkin. In a related action, Secretary Bullock also agreed to the Attorney General’s request to suspend the controlled substances registration of Dr. Arturo Apolinario.
“In requesting the emergency suspension of Dr. Dworkin’s medical license, the Attorney General asserts, as is required by law, that there is a ‘clear and immediate danger’ to public safety,” said Secretary Bullock. “We have sought to verify with the Attorney General’s office that the allegation that Dr. Dworkin was the obstetrician of record at the Women’s Medical Society clinic in Philadelphia can be substantiated. We have received documents from the Attorney General’s office that indicate this serious allegation against Dr. Dworkin has been substantiated, and based on that representation, we are granting this emergency suspension.”
“It is important in these cases that we err on the side of protecting the public,” said Board President Moore. “And that was our intent in making the decision to issue an emergency suspension for Dr. Dworkin’s license, based on the serious allegations made by the Attorney General’s office.”
Secretary Bullock today also suspended the controlled substances registration (CSR) of Dr. Arturo Apolinario, who is alleged to have prescribed, dispensed, and/or stored controlled substances in Wilmington and Dover during a period of time when he did not possess a CSR. In doing so, Secretary Bullock found that Dr. Apolinario’s CSR was renewed because of a loophole in existing law. The Division of Professional Regulation will seek legislative changes that will allow CSR renewals to be denied under certain circumstances when there are pending complaints against an applicant.
Secretary Bullock and the Board President also ordered an expedited hearing on the complaint for Dr. Apolinario’s medical license, determining that the allegations in the complaint, though very serious and worthy of consideration, do not demonstrate the “clear and immediate danger” standard required for an emergency suspension.
As a result of the action taken today, Dr. Dworkin and Dr. Apolinario will have their licensure/registration status updated on the Division of Professional Regulation’s online license verification service. This tool lists the status of 71,000 professional licensees in Delaware and can be accessed by visiting dpr.delaware.gov and clicking “Verify License Online.”
The mission of the Division of Professional Regulation is to ensure the protection of the public’s health, safety and economic well-being through administrative and investigative services to Governor-appointed boards/commissions.
