Missouri Med Board Reprimands Psychiatrist Ryan B. Sondergard for Harmful Conduct; Ohio Med Board Issues Citation

August 24, 2023

On August 9, 2023, the Missouri State Board for the Healing Arts issued a public reprimand against psychiatrist Ryan B. Sondergard of St. Louis.

The Missouri Board’s document contained the following details:

• On or about January 13, 2021, the Board received a complaint which alleged that Sondergard had hidden a cell phone in the bathroom ceiling at his wife's parent's home.

• The person who filed the complaint reported that on February 3, 2019, Sondergard came to the home for a Super Bowl party; that he had frequented the home often in the past and was familiar with who lived in the home, as well as their patterns for using its various bathrooms. 

• Sondergard frequently excused himself from the party to use the bathroom, stating that he was not feeling well.

• At one point Sondergard’s wife's minor sister took a shower in the bathroom; while in the bathroom, the sister noticed a cellular phone in ceiling, and took a picture of it.

• At a later date, Sondergard was confronted about the incident. He admitted that he had placed the cellular phone in the ceiling. He later wrote a handwritten letter of contrition to the family.

• The person who filed the complaint reported to the Board that the incident has had an ongoing negative impact upon the family with feelings of failure, fear, and mistrust toward the medical community and mental health professionals.

• On August 2, 2021, the Board's investigator met with Sondergard and his attorney for an interview. During this interview, Sondergard acknowledged that he had placed his cell phone in the downstairs bathroom but denied any specific purpose for the placement of the phone or that any images or video were captured.

On August 19, 2021, Sondergard submitted an application for medical license to the State Medical Board of Ohio.

On June 14, 2023 the Ohio Board issued Sondergard a citation notifying him that it intends to determine whether to refuse to grant his application based on the previously described cellphone incident, noting that such conduct would constitute the “commission of an act that constitutes a felony in this state, regardless of the jurisdiction in which the act was committed,” and indicated that the crime would be that of Voyeurism and Attempted Voyeurism.

The Ohio Board further informed Sondergard that it could impose a civil penalty upon him of up to the $20,000 and that he had the right to request a hearing in the matter.

Source: Settlement Agreement between the Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts and Ryan B. Sondergard, DO, August 9, 2023 and citation of State Medical Board of Ohio to Ryan Bradley Sondergard, D.O. Case number 23-CRF-0111, June 14, 2023.