The Arizona Medical Board unanimously voted Wednesday to revoke the medical license of Dr. Allan B. Aven, a Tucson general practitioner who was deemed a sexual predator in a psychiatrist's report based on his relationships with female patients.
Aven has 35 days to appeal the decision. The revocation becomes effective Sept. 15, board executive director Lisa Wynn said. Aven's attorney, Tom Slutes, could not be reached for comment.
The Arizona board held an emergency meeting on April 25 after receiving a psychiatrist's report that called Aven a "serious sexual predator" who is "probably not rehabilitatable." The board at that time voted 5-4 to restrict rather than suspend Aven's practice, saying he could see male patients only.
But as part of the normal process for such actions, an administrative law judge reviewed the case and then recommended pulling the doctor's license altogether.
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The board upheld the administrative law judge's recommendation Wednesday morning.
Slutes had previously argued that Aven has been to counseling and has not had any inappropriate relationships with patients for more than seven years.
Also, a forensic psychiatrist hired by Aven to evaluate his qualification to practice - Dr. Bradley Johnson - said Aven does not have a sexual disorder. Johnson is the chief of psychiatry at the Arizona State Hospital, where he is in charge of treating sex offenders and frequently performs evaluations for courts.
"This is not to state that there are not issues of concern, as Dr. Aven has had a history of poor boundaries with at least one patient. Additionally, it is my impression that he has demonstrated poor boundaries with two staff members," Johnson's report said.
Aven, 68, moved to Tucson from Illinois in 2009 and the Arizona Medical Board approved him to practice medicine here. At the time the board knew he had been suspended in Illinois and put on probation. But new information came to the Arizona board's attention in November, when the Chicago Tribune published a front-page story suggesting Illinois regulators had taken inadequate action against Aven.
The Arizona board had known of one victim, whose complaint was the subject of Illinois' disciplinary action, but hadn't known of another alleged victim, now deceased, whose story the Tribune reported.
The Arizona Daily Star ran a story on Aven in December. At the time he was working at the Quality of Life Medical & Research Center near Tucson Medical Center. In December, Aven acknowledged having an inappropriate sexual relationship with one patient in Illinois.
Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at sinnes@azstarnet.com or 573-4134.
