This story is part of a major investigation by 鶹ý and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel into physicians who had public actions against their licenses in one state, but are able to practice elsewhere with "clean" licenses.
A 2010 investigation by the state of Ohio found that Stephen Straubing, MD, had sex with two patients; wrote prescriptions for the opioid tramadol in the names of two family members; and prescribed drugs, including controlled substances, to five patients, and then had them return some of the drugs to him.
"Dr. Straubing would ask for one or two (Vicodin) tablets at a time," one patient wrote to the Ohio medical board. "The most I ever gave him was five or six."
The medical board's stated, "Dr. Straubing's acts, conduct, and/or omissions ... individually and/or collectively, constitute '[c]omission of an act that constitutes a felony in this state,'" although no criminal charges ensued.
Instead of revoking his medical license, Ohio suspended it indefinitely.
In 2011, a year later, his license was reinstated -- though Straubing remained on probation, which required regular drug screenings and mandatory attendance at drug and alcohol rehab meetings. The probation lasted until January 2017.
In the midst of this, in 2014, Straubing obtained a license in Florida, where he now practices without restrictions and works as an addiction medicine specialist.
In an interview, Straubing said he left Ohio to study addiction medicine at the University of Florida.
"It is ancient history," he said of the troubles in Ohio. "It has been resolved."
He said Florida had full knowledge of his problems in Ohio when it granted him a license.
"Obviously, they had no concerns," he said.
Brad Dalton, a spokesman for the Florida department of health, said Straubing's case was reviewed by board officials. Because the physician's Ohio license had been reinstated when he applied to Florida, no restrictions were imposed in Florida, Dalton said.