PRETEND DOCTOR

PRETEND DOCTOR 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

I went to highschool in Tampa Florida and occassionly find myself on the Tampa Newspaper Websites looking for news.

Today I landed on what I can only call, an amazing story in the Tampa Tribune:

“TAMPA – Sandra Rovhana doesn’t have a license to practice psychiatry, psychology or any healthcare profession, investigators say.

She doesn’t even have a college degree.

But police say she posed as a doctor and diagnosed medical conditions, charging patients $60 an hour in her South Tampa office.

Rovhana, 47, of Odessa, was arrested Tuesday on charges including unlicensed practice of a healthcare professional and unlicensed practice as a psychologist. She has been released from jail on $7,500 bail.

Police say Rovhana identified herself as a doctor and offered psychiatric services. Her office had business cards indicating she had a doctorate and other degrees.

Detectives believe Rovhana had been seeing patients for at least three years.

The investigation began after the state Department of Health received a complaint against Rovhana. Over several months, the health department and police sent undercover officers posing as patients to visit Rovhana at her office, 2510 S. MacDill Ave.

One undercover officer was diagnosed with situational depression and one was diagnosed with depression, police said. A third was diagnosed with andropause, which is a result of low testosterone.

Rovhana didn’t prescribe medicine but told patients to go to a primary care physician and told them what drugs to get, police say.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691″

Wow. That just about beats anything I could make up. someone pretends to be a mental health professional.

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About the author

Lauren Ellerman

In 2011, Lauren Ellerman was named "Young Lawyer of the Year" by the Roanoke Bar Association for her work in the community. To speak with Lauren about your personal injury case, contact her at lellerman@frithlawfirm.com.

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