Therapist accepts patient's $50K gift

A physical therapist was ordered to take a course in professional boundaries after accepting gifts and running errands for patient.

March 30, 2010 at 9:56PM

After accepting a $50,000 check, furniture and antiques from a patient and running personal errands for her, an Owatonna physical therapist was told to take a course in professional boundaries, the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy ordered in January.

Jennifer L. O'Connor had attended the same college as the patient, who said the money was "from one 'alum' to the next 'alum'." O'Connor initially refused the check in 2004 then changed her mind after consulting a lawyer, the board said. In 2005, the patient started to call O'Connor frequently and drive by her house. O'Connor returned the household items at the patient's request and changed her phone number. The patient obtained her new phone number and continued to call her. The initial plan of care for the patient was two sessions per week for two to three weeks. The board cited O'Connor for substandard practice and record-keeping for some of the more than 141 sessions she eventually provided to the patient over a three-year period. Read the full report here.

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Jane Friedmann

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