Dr. Paul George Bussey agreed to a consent agreement with the state Board of Medical Examiners to temporarily pull his license.
WOODSTOWN -- A local doctor has agreed to temporary suspension of his license over allegations that he had sexual relations with a longtime female patient who he was treating for mental issues, the state Attorney Generals Office has announced.
A Woodstown doctor has agreed to have his license temporarily suspended. (File Photo) Dr. Paul George Bussey, who operated Family Practice of Salem County on Mill Street, entered into a consent agreement with the state Board of Medical Examiners on Nov. 4 which will remain in effect until the board considers further action in his case.
"A doctor-patient relationship is considered sacrosanct and should not be breached in any way," said Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman in a statement issued Monday. "A doctor who engages in sexual misconduct with a patient, especially one he's medically treating for mental issues, is among the most egregious violations of that relationship I can think of."
Spokesmen for two Salem County hospitals with which Bussey was affiliated -- Memorial Hospital of Salem County and Inspira Medical Center Elmer -- say they have cut ties with him.
On Sept. 29, a complaint was filed before the Board of Medical Examiners seeking the temporary suspension of Bussey's license, alleging he engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a longtime female patient he was treating for depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, addiction, and other ailments.
The complaint alleges that Bussey engaged in a two-month sexual relationship with a 30-year-old patient between January and March of 2015. Bussey had been treating the patient since she was 21 years old, according to the Attorney Generals Office. As part of that treatment, he was prescribing narcotic and psychotropic medications to her.
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Their sexual relationship allegedly began in January 2015, when the married doctor hired the unidentified patient to help with the medical billing in his office.
Their relationship included gifts of money and jewelry, dining in restaurants, and sex in his office, according to the complaint. The pair also allegedly exchanged sexually explicit text messages on a cell phone he had purchased for her.
"Patients who come to health care professionals when they are ill and vulnerable bring with them expectations that their welfare will be placed above all else," said Steve Lee, acting director of the State Division of Consumer Affairs. "If these allegations are true, Dr. Bussey put his own sexual desires ahead of his patient's well-being and used his position of trust to victimize her in a way no patient deserves."
According to the complaint, Bussey requested sexually explicit photos of the patient, but she responded that she couldn't because her mother, with whom she lived, was awake. Bussey allegedly suggested the patient give her mother an extra dose of anti-anxiety and antipsychotic medication to help her fall asleep. The patient's mother was previously prescribed those medications by Bussey.
A woman's voice on a telephone answering machine recording at Bussey's office phone Monday morning said the practice was closed and "please bear with us while we figure this out."
The message to continue to call back to get instructions on how to pick up medical records.
Bussey's license will remain suspended until the Board of Medical Examiners holds a plenary hearing to consider further disciplinary action against him, according to the Attorney Generals Office. A date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This investigation was conducted by the Enforcement Bureau of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
