Thursday, June 15, 2023

GoLocalProv News Team

The license of a Rhode Island acupuncture practitioner has been suspended, after two former patients accused him of contact of a sexual nature during treatment. 

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) publicly disclosed this week that acupuncturist Liansheng Liu was accused of inappropriately touching one patient’s breasts — and the vagina of another patient — during treatment. 

While state documents show Liu disputed the claims, RIDOH deemed that it had enough evidence to move forward with the license suspension, as well as stipulations for license reinstatement. 

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RIDOH’s expert witness, Dr. Tenuja Arany — educated at Columbia University, trained at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine as a licensed acupuncturist, and a member of the Lifespan Physician Group —  testified that sexual assault was “not clinically appropriate.”  

RIDOH Reveals Protracted Case 

According to RIDOH documents, one former patient of Liu’s said that she went to see him in September of 2018 for a “pinched nerve in her neck” and checked off “upper back pain” and “neck and shoulder pain” on office forms. 

She said that she visited Liu three times, and on the fourth time, he “moved his hand between her breasts and asked about pain.” 

“She testified that he touched her breasts with the front of his hand — palm and fingers. She testified that the Respondent seemed to be trying to get a reaction from her in terms of her breasts,” according to the RIDOH suspension document. 

The woman — identified as “Patient A” — testified that she filed a complaint with the Department of Health that same month. 

A second patient (and according to RIDOH, the two patients testified that they did not know each other) filed a complaint in November 2019. 

“Patient B” testified that at her first visit, she had an acupuncturist session with needles inserted through her hip, her left glute, and leg and testified that she took her pants off on the instruction of the Respondent,” according to the RIDOH document. 

At her fourth visit, “Patient B” testified “that he adjusted her underwear lower than it seemed necessary.”

“She testified that as he maneuvered her underwear, he put his finger and brushed her vagina.”

According to RIDOH,  she testified she reported it to the Cranston police, but Liu was not charged. 

The Department’s expert witness said that she reviewed Liu’s office notes and the complaints at the request of the Department. 

“[The expert witness] testified that patients should not be touched under their bra. She testified that her finding for Patient B was that sexual assault was not clinically appropriate…and that the standard of care is to only touch people in clinically appropriate ways,” according to RIDOH. 

RIDOH documents show that Liu testified he never put his hand in Patient A’s bra and never fondled her breasts; he also testified he “never put his hands down [Patient B’s] underpants and never fondled her genital area.” 

RIDOH Findings, Respondent’s Defense, And Action Taken

In its findings, RIDOH “argued that it is not alleging criminal content nor is it using the term sexual assault but other is alleging unprofessional conduct but the Respondent in violation of RI General Laws.”

“[RIDOH] argued that the basis for the unprofessional conduct is the testimony of the two female patients who did not know each other and filed very similar complaints in that at their fourth visits, the Respondent touched them in appropriate areas and asked if they felt pain,” according to the suspension document. 

According to RIDOH, Liu argued that the allegations “were from five years ago,” and the complainants did not appear in person at the hearing.

RIDOH noted that the coronavirus pandemic played a role in the investigation timeline. 

Liu argued it was a “wildly botched investigation with Open Meetings Act violations” and that “after 5 years should be dismissed.” 

RIDOH in its ruling stated, “The board’s investigating committee’s proposed recommended conditions for the Respondent were the same whenever it reviewed the two complaints. The difference was that initially, the committee felt its finding should be non-disciplinary. It then further reviewed the complaints and recommended a reprimand.”

The terms of the suspension of Liu’s license are that he must obtain a mental health evaluation at his own expense and fully cooperate with any recommendations regarding treatment; that he must complete six hours of continuing education.

Once the stipulations are “satisfactorily complete,” according to RIDOH, Liu will be placed on probation for 18 months and will require a non-related female chaperone during treatment of female patients.

Liu did not respond to requests for comment at time of publication. 

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