Kayvan Haddadan, MD

Another good doctor’s career is under scrutiny by the Medical Board of California (MBC).  Those of us who have been following the fight for good, compassionate doctors have seen the corruption of the MBC. In fact, all medical boards across the country are no longer working for the patient, but for the government, the MBC probably the best example.  After all, the primary victims of attack in the state as well as the country are minority physicians being culled from the practice.  But in investigating the Medical Board of California, I see only one Caucasian doctor. All of the other members are minorities including black, Latino, Middle Eastern and Asian backgrounds. So why are they targeting their own? That is a question only they can answer. Pressure from above?  Feeling “holier than thou” against their own? We need a whistleblower in the Medical Board to stand up and tell us the truth. But meanwhile, let’s evaluate their plan to ruin another good pain management physician.

Kayvan D. Haddadan, MD is the founder, president and medical director of Advanced Pain Diagnostic & Solutions located in 5 locations in the Sacramento, California area. Dr. Haddadan earned his Medical Doctor degree at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, did his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Stritch School of Medicine in Illinois, affiliated with Loyola University. He went on to complete his Fellowship in Pain Medicine at California Pacific Medical Center’s Pacific Pain Treatment Center while also training in Medical Acupuncture for Physicians from the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine. Throughout his career as a healthcare professional and a researcher, Dr. Haddadan has been published in 29 different research papers and projects. I don’t think anyone can say that Dr. Haddadan isn’t trained and experienced in pain management. And yet, without a single adverse event with any of the patients the MBC investigated, he is being attacked with the threat of having his license to practice medicine revoked.

The complaint against him is brought to the board by the Executive Director.  That, in and of itself, tells me that the MBC will rule against Dr. Haddadan, simply for political purposes.  But you can see here, in the complaint, that there is nothing worthy of any action against the doctor. The complaint and the hearing are based on the evaluation of two patients–—one involving a semantic issue in urine test counseling documentation and another demanding an unnecessary EKG on a stable methadone patient. The decisions made by Dr. Haddadan that the complaint covers were basically decisions made by the doctor in a legitimate doctor/patient relationship. Just because a different doctor with the power as Executive Director might have done something differently doesn’t mean that Dr. Haddadan’s decisions were wrong or caused harm to the patient. One thing everyone in medicine must accept is that there is no single right decision in any treatment, but that all things in the patient assessment must be taken into account.  The fact that this evaluating physician making the complaint does not have a doctor/patient relationship with either of these patients should immediately discount his attack. But will it?  My guess is no.

So what is the purpose of this attack?  Dr. Haddadan founded the practice in 2012. Are there other clinics in the area with power in politics or hospitals in the area that he became a competition against?  Is he treating the “expendable” populations that the government wants to see dead?  Well, if his license is suspended and the Medical Board decision becomes a paper trail for further government attack, think of how many patients he supports will be thrown to the street. Is there a government plan here? You might consider me a conspiracy theorist, but I say if the shoe fits…

Dr. Haddadan has realized that this overreach is part of a broader cultural and political issue, where boards criminalize minor errors, deploy biased experts, and presume guilt in opaque, prolonged investigations. He has written about this situation himself with articles on KevinMD (e.g., “Silent Crisis” on April 17, 2025; “The Weaponization of Rules” on June 24, 2025; “The Devastating Cost of Medical Board Injustice” on July 8, 2025; “Moral Assassin” on August 1, 2025; “Fishing Expedition” on August 27, 2025; and others). He has also written a book “Legal Mind in Medicine”. He recognizes the fact that pain management physicians face disproportionate scrutiny for paperwork issues, while serious misconduct often goes unaddressed by the MBC. Reports from sources such as the 2023 Los Angeles Times and a 2021 CBS News probe corroborate this bias, highlighting harsher penalties for trivial matters than for actual malpractice.

Dr. Haddadan has put together for all physicians the following statement condemning MBC Overreach:

“The California Medical Board’s aggressive enforcement practices have escalated into a systemic issue, burdening physicians with excessive scrutiny, punitive investigations, and financial exploitation, ultimately undermining patient care and the medical profession. The Board’s reliance on unqualified experts, biased investigative processes, and a tendency to inflate minor issues for financial gain exemplify an alarming overreach that demands urgent reform. We vigorously condemn these practices and call for a fairer, more transparent system.

Extent of Overreach

The MBC receives an overwhelming number of complaints—10,868 in the 2020 fiscal year, with 1,956 investigations opened—but only a small fraction result in serious disciplinary actions, such as the 201 license revocations from 2015 to 2021. This discrepancy suggests that many investigations target minor or baseless allegations, creating unnecessary stress and financial strain for physicians. The investigative process, averaging 1,167 days in 2021-22, subjects doctors to unannounced office visits, interrogative interviews, and public disclosure of complaints, even when unfounded, causing reputational harm and disrupting practices.

A particularly egregious aspect of the MBC’s approach is its reliance on unqualified experts with limited medical knowledge to review complex cases. These so-called experts, often lacking relevant specialization, are tasked with searching through old patient records to fabricate grounds for negligence, even when evidence is tenuous or outdated. This practice disregards physicians’ expertise and clinical context, leading to unjust accusations. Furthermore, the MBC’s investigators frequently ignore proof and facts that contradict their predetermined intent to punish, selectively focusing on minor administrative errors or subjective interpretations to justify disciplinary action.

The Board’s tendency to exaggerate small issues—such as minor record-keeping discrepancies—into major infractions is a deliberate tactic to inflate the scope of investigations. For example, failure to produce records within a 15-day deadline results in fines of up to $10,000, deemed unprofessional conduct regardless of the investigation’s outcome. This approach not only tarnishes physicians’ reputations but also serves a financial motive: the MBC imposes substantial fines and leverages investigations to generate revenue, with physicians indirectly funding these unwarranted probes and the payments to unqualified experts who participate in this flawed system.

The cumulative impact is severe. Prolonged investigations lead to loss of hospital privileges, reporting to the National Practitioner Data Bank, and reputational damage, even for unsubstantiated complaints. With California facing a projected physician shortage of 9,000 by 2030, this overreach risks driving competent doctors out of practice, particularly in underserved rural areas, exacerbating the healthcare crisis.

Vigorous Condemnation

The MBC’s overreach is an outrageous abuse of power that exploits physicians for financial gain while undermining trust in the medical system. The use of unqualified experts to concoct negligence claims, the dismissal of contradictory evidence, and the exaggeration of trivial issues into career-threatening infractions reflect a system more concerned with self-perpetuation than public safety. The Board’s financial motivations—imposing hefty fines and funding investigations through physician penalties—are particularly reprehensible, as they exploit doctors to pay for the very experts who enable this wrongdoing. We unequivocally condemn these practices, which create a culture of fear, stifle medical practice, and jeopardize patient care. Immediate reform is essential to restore fairness and prioritize the well-being of both physicians and patients.

Evidence and References

1. High Complaint Volume, Low Disciplinary Outcomes: The MBC received 10,868 complaints in 2020, opening 1,956 investigations but revoking only 201 licenses from 2015 to 2021. [Source: MBC Annual Report, 2020]
2. Prolonged Investigations: Investigations take an average of 1,167 days, causing significant disruption. [Source: MBC Sunset Review Report, 2022]
3. Punitive Measures: Failure to produce records within 15 days incurs fines up to $10,000, deemed unprofessional conduct. [Source: Business and Professions Code §2225]
4. Unqualified Experts and Biased Investigations: Reports highlight the MBC’s use of non-specialized experts to review records, often ignoring contradictory evidence and inflating minor issues. [Source: Consumer Watchdog Reports, 2023]
5. Financial Exploitation: Fines and investigation costs, indirectly funded by physicians, support payments to unqualified experts and prolonged probes. [Source: MBC Enforcement Guidelines]
6. Physician Shortage: California faces a projected shortage of 9,000 physicians by 2030. [Source: California Health Care Foundation, 2020]

Proposed Reforms

To address the MBC’s overreach and create a fairer, more effective regulatory system, we propose the following:

1. Streamline the Complaint Process:
   • Effective Triage: Prioritize serious allegations (e.g., gross negligence, impairment) and dismiss frivolous or anonymous complaints swiftly to reduce unnecessary investigations.
   • Time Limits: Enforce a 180-day cap on investigations to expedite resolution and minimize disruption.
2. Ensure Qualified Expertise:
   • Specialized Reviewers: Require experts to have relevant medical specialization and current clinical experience to evaluate cases accurately.
   • Evidence-Based Investigations: Mandate that investigators consider all evidence, including exculpatory facts, and prohibit selective focus on minor issues.
3. Eliminate Financial Exploitation:
   • Cap Fines: Limit fines to egregious violations and eliminate penalties for minor administrative errors, ensuring physicians are not financially burdened by baseless probes.
   • Transparent Funding: Fund investigations through state budgets or federal grants, not physician fines, to remove conflicts of interest and end payments to unqualified experts.
4. Enhance Transparency and Fairness:
   • Delayed Public Disclosure: Withhold public reporting of complaints until investigations confirm violations, protecting physicians from premature reputational harm.
   • Verified Patient Complaints: Ensure patient impact statements (introduced in 2023) are substantiated to prevent misuse by disgruntled parties.
5. Reform Disciplinary Practices:
   • Proportional Penalties: Reserve severe sanctions (e.g., license revocation) for serious violations. Minor issues should result in citations or training, not career-ending penalties.
   • Independent Oversight: Establish an independent review panel with non-physician members to audit investigations and ensure impartiality, addressing CMA influence.
6. Support Physician Wellness:
   • Transparent Substance Abuse Programs: Maintain public reporting under SB 1441 while offering rehabilitation pathways to balance accountability and support.
   • Mental Health Resources: Provide confidential mental health support for physicians under investigation, aligning with 2024 California Academy of Family Physicians priorities.
7. Increase Funding Without Burdening Physicians:
   • Diversify Funding: Seek state or federal funding instead of raising licensing fees (proposed at $1,255 by 2027) to support MBC operations.
   • Hire More Staff: Increase investigative staff to expedite case resolution, addressing staffing shortages noted in the 2022 Sunset Review.
8. Legislative Reforms:
   • Balanced Consumer Protections: Support bills like SB 815 (2023) to enhance patient voices but reject provisions lowering evidentiary standards for minor cases.
   • Public-Majority Board: Reintroduce proposals for a public-member majority on the MBC to reduce physician bias and prioritize consumer interests.

Conclusion

The Medical Board of California’s overreach—marked by excessive investigations, reliance on unqualified experts, dismissal of contradictory evidence, exaggeration of minor issues, and financial exploitation through fines—creates an oppressive environment for physicians while failing to consistently protect patients. Supported by robust evidence, we condemn these practices as exploitative and detrimental to California’s healthcare system. By implementing streamlined processes, qualified expertise, fair disciplinary measures, and transparent funding, the MBC can fulfill its mission without driving physicians away or undermining public trust. These reforms are critical to addressing the projected physician shortage and ensuring equitable, patient-centered oversight.

Doctors of Courage would like to add another stipulation to the medical board system. Members of the medical boards of all states should be elected by the physicians they monitor, not by the governor, to remove political gain and make the appointments responsible for patient care only.  A possibly is through the physician associations to nominate and appoint the members.  This might also increase the participation in the associations by all medical professionals in the state.

Call to Action

Get this message to everyone you know in California. Get support for Dr. Haddadan to show up at his board hearing.  We will keep you informed here when that will be.