THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE PHYSICIAN REGISTER SECTION OF THE WEBSITE OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF ONTARIO (WWW.CPSO.ON.CA) AS OF THE DATE AND TIME NOTED BELOW
28/04/25 07:05:10 AM

General Information

Former Name: No Former Name
Medical School: University of Toronto, 1970
Gender: Man
Languages Spoken: ENGLISH, FRENCH, ITALIAN

Practice Information

Primary Business Location: Address not Available
Business Email: No Information Available
Phone: No Information Available
Fax: No Information Available

Specialties

No Specialty Reported

Hospital Privileges

No information available

Professional Corporation Information

Corporation Name: D.A. Ruggiero Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Inactive End Date: 05 Aug 2016

General Information

Former Name: No Former Name
Gender: Man
Languages Spoken: ENGLISH, FRENCH, ITALIAN
Medical School: University of Toronto, 1970

Practice Information

Primary Business Location: Address not Available
Business Email: No Information Available
Phone: No Information Available
Fax: No Information Available

Specialties

No Specialty Reported

Hospital Privileges

No information available

Professional Corporation Information

Corporation Name: D.A. Ruggiero Medicine Professional Corporation
Certificate of Authorization Status: Inactive End Date: 05 Aug 2016

Practice Conditions

This physician is inactive (Expired, Resigned, Suspended, Revoked, or Deceased) and is not permitted to practise medicine.
This physician is inactive (Expired, Resigned, Suspended, Revoked, or Deceased) and is not permitted to practise medicine.

Current Tribunal Proceedings

No information available

Past Tribunal Proceedings (1)

Date of Decision: 23 Aug 2016
Summary of Decision:
On August 23, 2016, the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found that Dr. Donato Anthony Ruggiero committed an act of professional misconduct in that he engaged in sexual impropriety with a patient by placing his penis in the patient’s vagina during a medical appointment in his office in approximately 1986.

Dr. Ruggiero received his certificate of registration in 1973. He had a solo practice in Toronto at the relevant time.

Patient A attended Dr. Ruggiero’s office for abdominal pain in or about 1986, when she was in her late teens. The Committee found that Patient A had three appointments with Dr. Ruggiero.

On Patient A’s last visit with Dr. Ruggiero, she was asked to remove her clothing from the waist down and to lie on the examination table and place her feet in the stirrups.

The Committee rejected Dr. Ruggiero’s evidence that he performed a pelvic examination at Patient A’s last visit, and that she mistook the examination for sexual impropriety.

The Committee found that when Dr. Ruggiero asked Patient A to undress from the waist down and lie down on the examination table, it was not his intention to perform a medically-indicated pelvic examination. Rather, his true intent was to take advantage and exploit a vulnerable patient by inserting his penis into her vagina for self- gratification.

The Committee found that Dr. Ruggiero was being deceptive when he provided College investigators, the Committee, and Patient A’s mother with various explanations for why he would have performed a pelvic examination. These explanations did not have a factual basis and were merely attempts to provide a legitimate explanation for why he would have asked Patient A to undress from the waist down and lie on the examination table for a purported pelvic examination.

Dr. Ruggiero spontaneously described Patient A to a College investigator as having been dressed “very, very seductively” the day of the assault, and he recalled her appearance. Dr. Ruggiero also testified that Patient A was not a virgin when he saw her. The Committee found that Dr. Ruggiero perceived Patient A in a sexualized manner.

The Committee found that Patient A raised her head to see what was going on during the appointment, and saw Dr. Ruggiero’s pants unzipped and his penis with a condom on it going in and out of her vagina, while hearing him moaning.

The Committee did not find Dr. Ruggiero to be a credible witness. There were numerous inconsistencies in his testimony. The Committee found Patient A to be a credible witness and her testimony to be reliable.

In his conduct towards Patient A, Dr. Ruggiero committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he engaged in sexual impropriety with a patient.

PENALTY

On October 14, 2016, the Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:

- The Registrar revoke Dr. Ruggiero’s certificate of registration, effective immediately;
- Dr. Ruggiero appear before the panel to be reprimanded within sixty (60) days
of this Order becoming final; and
- Dr. Ruggiero pay costs to the College in the amount of $25,000.00 within thirty (30) days of the date of this Order becoming final.

APPEAL

On October 31, 2016, Dr. Ruggiero appealed the decisions on both liability and penalty of the Discipline Committee dated August 23, 2016 and October 14, 2016 to the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice.

On May 1, 2017, Dr. Ruggiero abandoned his appeal to the Divisional Court.
 
Reasons for Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Hearing Date(s): Third Party Records Motions: August 31, 2015; Hearing: January 4-6, February 1, 2016 Penalty Hearing : October 14, 2016

Other Notifications (1)

Source: Member
Effective Date: 01 May 2017
Summary:
Summary of the Undertaking given by Dr. Donato Anthony Ruggiero to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, effective May 1, 2017:

Dr. Ruggiero’s certificate of registration was revoked by the Discipline Committee of the College in respect of sexual impropriety with a patient on October 14, 2016.

In a Notice of Hearing dated September 9, 2015, May 5, 2016, and February 14, 2017, Dr. Ruggiero was referred to discipline on further allegations of professional misconduct, namely failing to maintain the standard of practice of the profession, sexual abuse of a patient, and having engaged in an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.

College investigations were also conducted into whether Dr. Ruggiero engaged in professional misconduct or was incompetent in his general practice and into whether he engaged in professional misconduct regarding his submission of claims to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.

Prior to these investigations and allegations being resolved, Dr. Ruggiero agreed never to apply or re-apply to practise medicine in Ontario or any other jurisdiction, nor to apply for reinstatement of his certificate of registration.

Download Full Document (PDF)

Current Tribunal Proceedings

No information available

Past Tribunal Proceedings (1)

Date of Decision: 23 Aug 2016
Summary of Decision:
On August 23, 2016, the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario found that Dr. Donato Anthony Ruggiero committed an act of professional misconduct in that he engaged in sexual impropriety with a patient by placing his penis in the patient’s vagina during a medical appointment in his office in approximately 1986.

Dr. Ruggiero received his certificate of registration in 1973. He had a solo practice in Toronto at the relevant time.

Patient A attended Dr. Ruggiero’s office for abdominal pain in or about 1986, when she was in her late teens. The Committee found that Patient A had three appointments with Dr. Ruggiero.

On Patient A’s last visit with Dr. Ruggiero, she was asked to remove her clothing from the waist down and to lie on the examination table and place her feet in the stirrups.

The Committee rejected Dr. Ruggiero’s evidence that he performed a pelvic examination at Patient A’s last visit, and that she mistook the examination for sexual impropriety.

The Committee found that when Dr. Ruggiero asked Patient A to undress from the waist down and lie down on the examination table, it was not his intention to perform a medically-indicated pelvic examination. Rather, his true intent was to take advantage and exploit a vulnerable patient by inserting his penis into her vagina for self- gratification.

The Committee found that Dr. Ruggiero was being deceptive when he provided College investigators, the Committee, and Patient A’s mother with various explanations for why he would have performed a pelvic examination. These explanations did not have a factual basis and were merely attempts to provide a legitimate explanation for why he would have asked Patient A to undress from the waist down and lie on the examination table for a purported pelvic examination.

Dr. Ruggiero spontaneously described Patient A to a College investigator as having been dressed “very, very seductively” the day of the assault, and he recalled her appearance. Dr. Ruggiero also testified that Patient A was not a virgin when he saw her. The Committee found that Dr. Ruggiero perceived Patient A in a sexualized manner.

The Committee found that Patient A raised her head to see what was going on during the appointment, and saw Dr. Ruggiero’s pants unzipped and his penis with a condom on it going in and out of her vagina, while hearing him moaning.

The Committee did not find Dr. Ruggiero to be a credible witness. There were numerous inconsistencies in his testimony. The Committee found Patient A to be a credible witness and her testimony to be reliable.

In his conduct towards Patient A, Dr. Ruggiero committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he engaged in sexual impropriety with a patient.

PENALTY

On October 14, 2016, the Discipline Committee ordered and directed that:

- The Registrar revoke Dr. Ruggiero’s certificate of registration, effective immediately;
- Dr. Ruggiero appear before the panel to be reprimanded within sixty (60) days
of this Order becoming final; and
- Dr. Ruggiero pay costs to the College in the amount of $25,000.00 within thirty (30) days of the date of this Order becoming final.

APPEAL

On October 31, 2016, Dr. Ruggiero appealed the decisions on both liability and penalty of the Discipline Committee dated August 23, 2016 and October 14, 2016 to the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice.

On May 1, 2017, Dr. Ruggiero abandoned his appeal to the Divisional Court.
 
Reasons for Decision: Download Full Decision (PDF)
Hearing Date(s): Third Party Records Motions: August 31, 2015; Hearing: January 4-6, February 1, 2016 Penalty Hearing : October 14, 2016

Other Notifications (1)

Source: Member
Effective Date: 01 May 2017
Summary:
Summary of the Undertaking given by Dr. Donato Anthony Ruggiero to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, effective May 1, 2017:

Dr. Ruggiero’s certificate of registration was revoked by the Discipline Committee of the College in respect of sexual impropriety with a patient on October 14, 2016.

In a Notice of Hearing dated September 9, 2015, May 5, 2016, and February 14, 2017, Dr. Ruggiero was referred to discipline on further allegations of professional misconduct, namely failing to maintain the standard of practice of the profession, sexual abuse of a patient, and having engaged in an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.

College investigations were also conducted into whether Dr. Ruggiero engaged in professional misconduct or was incompetent in his general practice and into whether he engaged in professional misconduct regarding his submission of claims to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.

Prior to these investigations and allegations being resolved, Dr. Ruggiero agreed never to apply or re-apply to practise medicine in Ontario or any other jurisdiction, nor to apply for reinstatement of his certificate of registration.

Download Full Document (PDF)

Training

Medical School: University of Toronto, 1970

Registration History

DETAILS DATE
Revoked: Discipline Committee. Effective: 14 Oct 2016
Suspension of registration imposed: Member Effective: 09 Jul 2015
Transfer of class of registration to: Restricted Certificate Effective: 10 Apr 2015
Arrow_iconTerms and conditions imposed on certificate Effective: 10 Apr 2015
First certificate of registration issued: Independent Practice Certificate Effective: 14 Jan 1972
DETAILS: Revoked: Discipline Committee.
Date: Effective: 14 Oct 2016
DETAILS: Suspension of registration imposed: Member
Date: Effective: 09 Jul 2015
DETAILS: Transfer of class of registration to: Restricted Certificate
Date: Effective: 10 Apr 2015
DETAILS: Terms and conditions imposed on certificate
Date: Effective: 10 Apr 2015
DETAILS: First certificate of registration issued: Independent Practice Certificate
Date: Effective: 14 Jan 1972