Nevada Medical Board Suspends Psychiatrist Hisbay H. Ali for Sex with Patient, Improper Benzo Prescribing, etc.

December 2, 2024

On October 11, 2024, the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners summarily suspended the medical license of psychiatrist Hisbay Haider Ali, finding that the health, safety and welfare of the public is at imminent or continued risk of harm if Ali is permitted to continue practicing medicine, and that an immediate summary suspension of Ali’s license to practice medicine in the State of Nevada is necessary for the protection of the public, because, among other things, Ali initiated a sexual relationship with Patient A and improperly prescribed Patient B benzodiazepines.

History:

On March 18, 2024, the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners filed a formal complaint against Dr. Ali alleging the following:

Sexual intercourse with a patient (Patient A). Prior to the sexual relationship, Ali sent the patient a text message to her cell phone utilizing his personal cell phone and initiated an inappropriate conversation to seduce Patient A into a sexual relationship with him.

On March 18, 2022, Ali visited a nightclub with Patient A and an associate of Ali’s. Ali began drinking heavily and informed his associate that he was the treating psychiatrist of Patient A and that he had diagnosed her as manic.

On the same date, Patient A attempted to end her sexual relationship with Ali. He repeatedly sent text messages to her and threatened to show up at her residence. Despite multiple requests by Patient A to be left alone, she ultimately resorted to texting Respondent that she would call the police if he persisted.

From March 19, 2022, through March 21, 2022, Ali sent flowers and "love letters" on three separate occasions to Patient A's residence as well as, on one occasion, personally delivered flowers to Patient A's residence.

Ali ceased treating Patient A at his practice after this encounter and failed to make any arrangements or referrals for her continuity of care, including ensuring she would not have withdrawals from her medications or a way to refill her prescriptions.

In a second formal complaint filed on April 24, 2024, the IC alleged the following:

On November 16, 2021, Ali began seeing a patient (Patient B) for psychiatric care following Patient B's transfer from another provider in the Ali’s practice. Ali continued to see Patient B for a period of six months following this initial encounter. During this time, Ali never ran a prescription monitoring program report (PMP) for Patient B, as required by Nevada law prior to prescribing Patient B with benzodiazepines, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

PMP data showed Patient B was concurrently being prescribed opioids during his treatment with Ali which is contraindicated. Ali failed to address Patient B's opioid use in his medical records, taper down Patient B's benzodiazepine usage, or switch Patient B to a longer acting medication such as clonazepam. Ali’s notes during the remainder of Patient B's visits continued to be highly templated and contained identical subjective and mental status exams which included repeated spelling errors, all of which indicated that the records were cloned.

On July 3, 2024, the Investigations Division of the Board obtained a Criminal History Report following the fingerprint and a background waiver required under Nevada Revised Statutes § 630.342 and related to Respondent's prior formal complaints.

The Investigative Committee learned from the Criminal History Report that on or about December 18, 2022, Ali was arrested for domestic violence following an altercation with a romantic partner.

Ali failed to report this arrest to the Board within thirty days as required by Nevada Revised Statutes § 630.306(1)(1).

Ali submitted his renewal application on June 21, 2023, wherein he answered “no” to the question in the application of whether he had ever been arrested, investigated, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any offense or violation of any federal law, state or local law, or the laws of any foreign country which is a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, felony, violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or synonymous thereto in a foreign jurisdiction, excluding any minor traffic offense (driving or being in control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of a chemical substance, including alcohol is not considered a minor traffic offense), or for any offense which is related to the manufacture, distribution, prescribing, or dispensing of controlled substances.

Ali’s renewal application for his Nevada medical license was approved on or about June 27, 2023, without critical review of his criminal history.

Additionally, the Criminal History Report showed that on or about April 6, 2024, Ali was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) and was involved in a single-person vehicle accident: While driving at a high rate of speed, Ali collided with a curb causing the vehicle to roll over. Ali was found to have a blood alcohol volume of .273 grams per milliliter at the time of his arrest.

Ali failed to report this DUI arrest to the Board within thirty days as required by Nevada Revised Statutes § 630.306(1)(1).

Accordingly, the IC finds that the health, safety and welfare of the public is at imminent or continued risk of harm if Ali is permitted to continue practicing medicine, and that an immediate summary suspension of Ali’s license to practice medicine in the State of Nevada is necessary for the protection of the public, because: (1) Ali initiated a sexual relationship with Patient A; (2) Ali was improperly prescribing Patient B benzodiazepines, cloned his records, and did not obtain a drug screening or check Patient B's PMP; (3) Respondent submitted for biennial registration (renewal) of his medical license utilizing false, misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete statements when he omitted his criminal history; and (4) Ali failed to timely disclose his criminal history to the Board with respect to his 2022 domestic violence arrest, and his 2024 DUI arrest where he was involved in a serious car accident with a blood alcohol volume of .273 grams per ml.

Source: Order of Summary Suspension and Notice of Hearing in the Matter of the Charges and Complaint Against Hisbay Haider Ali, Case nos. 24-53587-1, 24-53587-2, and 24-53587-3, Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners, October 11, 2024.