PRESS RELEASE - IOWA BOARD OF MEDICINE
(February 8, 2021)
Recently, the Iowa Board of Medicine took the following action:
Ugochukwu E. Akoma, M.D., a 48-year-old Iowa-licensed physician who formerly practiced family medicine in Guam, had a Statement of Charges and a Statement of Matters asserted issued by the Board on January 14, 2021. The Board alleged that Dr. Akoma violated the terms and provisions of a Settlement Agreement entered into between Dr. Akoma and the Board. A contested case hearing shall be scheduled in the future.
Sharon L. McRae, M.D., a 58-year-old Iowa-licensed physician who formerly practiced medicine in Southfield, Michigan, had a Findings of Fact, Conclusion of Law, Decision and Order issued by the Iowa Board on January 14, 2021. On or about June 17, 2016, the Michigan Board of Medicine (Michigan Board) issued an Order of Summary Suspension, suspending Dr. McRae’s Michigan medical license. The Michigan Board alleged negligence or failure to exercise due care; conduct, practice, or condition which impairs, or may impair, the ability to safely and skillfully practice medicine; incompetence; felony conviction; and failure to report a criminal conviction, in violation of the laws and rules governing the practice of medicine in Michigan. The Michigan Board determined that on June 26, 2014, Dr. McRae made an unauthorized entry, in an automobile, through the security gate at WJBK Fox 2 News in Southfield, Michigan. Dr. McRae indicated that she wanted to make a statement about the scandal at the Veterans Administration. When law enforcement arrived, Dr. McRae fled at a high rate of speed, driving erratically and ignoring traffic signals. Dr. McRae was subsequently apprehended and placed under arrest. On September 15, 2014, Dr. McRae pled guilty to Fleeing/Eluding Fourth Degree in Oakland County Circuit Court. Dr. McRae was subsequently sentenced to three days in jail and ordered to pay court fines, costs and restitution. Dr. McRae failed to report her felony conviction to the Michigan Board. The Michigan Board also determined that Dr. McRae prescribed excessive amounts of highly abused controlled substances while practicing medicine at a pain clinic in Southfield, Michigan, from September 2014 to February 20, 2015. On September 15, 2017, the Iowa Board filed a Statement of Charges alleging that Dr. McRae was disciplined by the licensing authority of another state in violation of the laws and rules governing the practice of medicine in Iowa. On December 11, 2020, a contested case hearing was held before the Iowa Board and the Iowa Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence establishes that Dr. McRae has been disciplined by the licensing authority of another state. Specifically, on June 17, 2016, the Michigan Board of Medicine issued an Order of Summary Suspension suspending Dr. McRae’s medical license. This suspension was based on a finding that Dr. McRae had pled guilty to fourth-degree eluding/fleeing, that she had failed to report her conviction to the Board, and that she had prescribed excessive amounts of highly abused controlled substances while working at the Abyssinia Love Knot Clinic. The Iowa Board further concluded that based on seriousness of the events that led to the suspension of Dr. McRae’s license in Michigan, her license to practice medicine in Iowa is suspended until such time as she petitions to reinstate and can establish that she can practice on Iowans safely and competently.
When appropriate, disciplinary actions are reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, an electronic repository administered by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to track adverse license actions.
CONSUMER COMPLAINTS: Consumers can submit complaints against physicians at https://medicalboard.iowa.gov/consumers/filing-complaint, by calling (515) 281-5847 or mail to 400 SW 8th Street, Suite C, Des Moines, IA 50309.
To view these actions, please visit our Find a Physician page at the link below:
https://eservices.iowa.gov/PublicPortal/Iowa/IBM/licenseQuery/LicenseQuery.jsp?Profession=Physician
