Virginia Psychiatrist Sridhar Yaratha Reprimanded for Causing Injury to Patient

June 30, 2022

On March 1, 2021 psychiatrist Sridhar Yaratha was reprimanded by the Virginia Board of Medicine for unprofessional conduct; negligent conduct which caused or is likely to cause injury to a patient or patients; and conducting his practice in such a manner as to be a danger to the health and welfare of his patients or to the public.

On March 21, 2018, a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia, cannabis use disorder, personality disorder NOS, and unspecified intellectual disability was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Petersburg, Virginia. He had previously been found not guilty by reason of insanity regarding four criminal counts of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer. 

On January 23, 2019, the patient was discharged from the hospital and admitted to a rehabilitation facility in Chesterfield, Virginia, where Dr. Yaratha was serving as a contract psychiatrist. The hospital discharge plan indicated that the patient was stable and was to continue with a particular course of treatment. However, it was found that Yaratha failed to heed the treatment plan, the patient decompensated, began experiencing sleep and appetite disturbances and lost 70 pounds. By early June 2019, the patient became increasingly paranoid and agitated, and exhibited inappropriate sexual behavior in another resident’s room, which led to the patient being involuntarily hospitalized.

Yaratha has disciplinary history which includes actions taken against him for patient abuse and sex with a patient, among other things: https://bit.ly/3AxOh4T.

Source: Consent Order in re: Sridhar Yaratha, M.D., license number 0101-236397, case number 200230, before the Virginia Board of Medicine, March 1, 2021.