The actions taken by the Medical Board against a compassionate physician dedicated to alleviating chronic pain are nothing short of egregious, deeply flawed, and emblematic of a system that seems intent on punishing rather than protecting. This esteemed doctor, who has spent years serving patients in dire need with integrity and professionalism, now finds himself ensnared by a process that appears more vindictive than just, more biased than fair.
At the heart of this relentless persecution are two allegations stemming from events that transpired over a decade ago—claims so tenuous and poorly supported that they border on absurdity. Let’s examine these accusations to expose the glaring inequity:
1. The alleged “urine test counseling issue.” The first claim revolves around a urine test from over 10 years ago, which the Medical Board argues was not perfectly documented to reflect counseling for abnormal results. However, the note clearly indicates the test’s results were documented and counseling was provided. The only alleged “error”? That the phrase “counseling was due to the abnormal results” was not explicitly stated—a semantic nitpicking exercise that betrays the desperate lengths the Board is willing to go to justify its actions.
2. The methadone patient allegation: a manufactured controversy. The second accusation suggests the doctor failed to order an unnecessary EKG for a patient who had been stable on methadone for over six years, with no cardiac symptoms, risk factors, or any medical indication for such testing. The so-called “expert” supporting this baseless claim is laughably uninformed about the overwhelming body of research and evidence, which unequivocally states that routine EKGs are not standard care for asymptomatic methadone patients without cardiovascular risks. Yet, this unqualified opinion is treated as gospel, flagrantly ignoring established medical guidelines while tarnishing the reputation of a doctor whose sole aim is patient well-being.
A system weaponized against the innocent
For these two unfounded and unrelated allegations, the Medical Board has sought to impose three years of probation—an unjustifiably harsh punishment that utterly disregards the truth. Worse still, this misguided crusade has wreaked havoc on this physician’s career and life:
Massive financial losses: Due to these baseless accusations, the doctor has been dropped from insurance contracts, stripped of critical privileges, and incurred millions of dollars in revenue loss.
Professional devastation: The public label of “under investigation” has destroyed trust, prevented pharmacies from filling prescriptions, and caused insurance companies to sever ties, rendering the physician unable to provide the care his patients desperately need.
A moral outrage in a nation that claims to defend justice
What makes this situation even more unbearable is the attitude of the Medical Board and its representatives. When their attorney was pressed to consider the damaging overreach and unfairness of the case, she shockingly admitted she did not want to “shake the trees” because she was “three years away from retirement.” This callous disregard for the destruction being wrought on the life of a devoted doctor—and by extension, the lives of countless patients—exposes a chilling indifference.
Bullying tactics and corruption: a broken system
The motives behind the Medical Board’s actions appear less about justice and more about exerting power and recouping the costs of their unnecessary investigation. Physicians are being forced to attend overpriced courses taught by for-profit organizations with apparent ties to the Board—a blatant conflict of interest. By turning dedicated doctors into scapegoats, they ultimately push patients out of clinical care and into the arms of dangerous alternatives, thereby exacerbating the very opioid crisis they claim to combat.
The true cost of overreach
The chilling effects of this overreach extend far beyond one physician’s plight. Patients are being denied care, their pain is being left unaddressed due to prescription refusals, and they are being forced into desperation. This is not just a travesty for the doctor—this is a public health crisis in motion, driven by the very authorities tasked with protecting it.
A call for accountability and reform
The time has come for the Medical Board to face the consequences of its actions. The physician’s suffering, professional humiliation, and financial devastation demand not only acknowledgment but action. The bullying, misuse of authority, and deliberate ignorance displayed in this case must be confronted. Justice, fairness, and compassion cannot be optional in a system that wields such life-altering power.
Kayvan Haddadan is a physiatrist and pain management physician, and president and medical director of Advanced Pain Diagnostic & Solutions, a multidisciplinary pain management practice in California that he founded in 2012. A physician and surgeon licensed by the Medical Board of California, he is double board-certified in pain medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. He is also certified in controlled substance registration through the DEA and serves as a qualified medical examiner through California’s Department of Industrial Relations Division of Workers’ Compensation.
Dr. Haddadan earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Alborz in Tehran, Iran, and his medical degree from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. He later received his Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates certification in Philadelphia, completed an internship in medical surgery at Loyola University Medical Center’s Stritch School of Medicine in Illinois, and finished his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the same institution. He completed his fellowship in pain medicine at California Pacific Medical Center’s Pacific Pain Treatment Center and also trained in medical acupuncture for physicians at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.
Dr. Haddadan has contributed to 29 research publications across multiple specialties, including pain management, cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and infectious disease. His work has examined topics such as hyperlipidemia in high cardiovascular risk patients, hyperuricemia and gout management, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma therapies, influenza treatment, irritable bowel syndrome, and opioid related complications in chronic pain care. His research has also included clinical outcome studies in spinal cord stimulation and award-winning presentations on neuropathic pain management and neuromuscular disorders.
