OB-GYN ‘crossed so many ethical boundaries,’ says patient at hearing

During a hearing on allegations of misconduct against a Las Vegas OB-GYN, a former patient described how the doctor tried to get her to model nude and the doctor called an adult film actress as a defense witness.

A woman identified as “Patient B” testified during the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners hearing that Dr. George Chambers, her doctor for seven years, inquired in 2018 if she would like to appear naked in stock photos for advertisements for his cosmetic gynecology specialty in exchange for $1,000.

“He asked me if I had ever posed nude before,” the woman said. “I told him that I hadn’t and wondered why he would ask me a question like that and then he told me about how he asked some of his patients to be models for him.”

“I knew right off the bat that it was incredibly inappropriate and crossed so many ethical boundaries,” she said. “I certainly didn’t say yes. I just wanted it to be over.”

Chambers is accused by the board of disruptive behavior; engaging in conduct intended to deceive; failure to maintain accurate medical records; engaging in conduct that violates the trust of a patient and exploits the relationship with the patient for financial or other personal gain; continual failure to practice medicine properly; and disreputable conduct.

The board’s administrative law complaint alleges that he “exploited his relationships with patients and violated patients’ trust by engaging in sexual improprieties that constitute sexual misconduct.”

Much of the complaint centers on claims from three of his former patients, known as Patient A, Patient B and Patient C to protect their privacy.

On Tuesday, Patient A said that in her only appointment with Chambers, he used a slang term to describe how he tried to insert his entire hand into her vagina, which she said caused her lasting pain and that she regarded as sexual assault.

Chambers strongly denied both using the slang term and inserting his hand in that way.

He complained Wednesday that Patient B was making “salacious” statements and “grandstanding” and it was “going to be a ‘he said, she said’” situation.

After Patient B was excused, the board conducted a lengthy interview with Dr. Richard Rafael, who retired in 2018 after 32 years as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Reno.

Rafael, a witness for the board, said that from his analysis of the case, he doesn’t believe that Chambers had committed malpractice or sexual assault, but that “his behavior fulfilled the definition of sexual misconduct and sexual inappropriateness” with the three complainants.

Chambers called as a witness Brittany Turner, who said she is an adult film actress who uses “Mocha Menage” as her stage name and has been a patient of Chambers’ since 2016.

Turner said that as an actress, she had performed the act that Patient A claims that Chambers described using a slang term. Turner agreed with Chambers assertion that he could not have done such an act. The complaint only alleges that he said he tried to insert his whole hand.

“I’ve been accused of saying that I attempted to” commit the sex act, Chambers told the board. “So I’m trying to be respectful and not say that it’s ridiculous, a ridiculous accusation.”

Hearing officer Nancy Moss Ghusn set the next board session, which will include Patient C and two more witnesses for Chambers, for June 1.

A previous version of this story misstated the year a former patient said that a Las Vegas OB-GYN asked her to pose nude. The incident happened in 2018.

Contact Jeff Burbank at jburbank@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0382. Follow him @JeffBurbank2 on Twitter.