State suspends Moses Lake chiropractor

Complaint alleges Richard Ribellia had inappropriate contact with patients

MOSES LAKE — The license of a Moses Lake chiropractor has been suspended after he allegedly had inappropriate contact with six female patients. The state’s Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission issued an order for immediate suspension of the license of Richard Ribellia on Jan. 18.

Ribellia, who practices at Family Lifestyle Chiropractic, has 20 days to appeal the suspension. Ribellia has been in practice since 1979.

A phone call to Family Lifestyle Chiropractic asking for comment was not returned.

Ribellia also allegedly offered “free chiropractic adjustments to employees who were not feeling well instead of paying sick leave. If the sick employee refused the adjustment, they were sent home without pay,” according to the statement of charges from the Washington Department of Health.

Four of the women were employed in Ribellia’s office, the statement of charges said. Two of the employees told investigators they thought Ribellia “pressured his employees to receive adjustments from him on approximately a weekly basis,” the DOH report said.

In the cases of two other patients, Ribellia is accused of failing to perform examinations that the patients required for their complaints. In both cases, Ribellia allegedly removed the gown, exposing each woman’s chest and manually examining inappropriately.

In those cases, “there was no medical necessity or Respondent (Ribellia) did not document the medical necessity” for conducting an examination that required exposing the patient’s chest. Ribellia also allegedly had inappropriate contact around the genital area, through the hospital gown, with four of the women.

“The commission finds this to be an abuse of trust and violation of patient/practitioner boundaries. Exposing and touching a patient, as alleged here and supported by the attached declaration and exhibits, justifies making a determination of immediate danger and a decision to immediately suspend the (practice) credential until a hearing on the matter can be held,” the DOH statement said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].