Miami doctor avoided drug and alcohol testing required by a monitor, state complaint says
Despite being monitored for alcohol and/or drug use, a Miami doctor intentionally skipped tests and ignored a request that he stop practicing almost two years ago, a state complaint says.
However, in emails to the Miami Herald, Baptist Health Dr. David Barkoe denied some of the contents of the Nov. 26 Florida Department of Health administrative complaint against him before saying, “Unfortunately, I can’t discuss my case anymore right now...not until a final decision is made.”
Administrative complaints start the professional discipline process. Barkoe’s online Department of Health license profile shows no disciplinary final orders since getting his Florida license in 2008. The 50-year-old is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in surgery and surgical critical care.
And Barkoe entered a monitoring contract with an agency that provides support and monitoring for impaired healthcare officials.
Contracts and urine?
Administrative complaints, emergency restriction orders and emergency suspension orders often include references to the medical professional being monitored or evaluated by the Professional Resource Network (PRN), a non-profit organization that works with the Department of Health and the Department of Business & Professional Regulation.
“PRN is an alternative to the DOH/DBPR disciplinary process,” the organization’s website says. “Due to increased education of licensed health care practitioners, hospitals and other employees, health care practitioners participating in PRN do so voluntarily instead of being reported to or by DOH/DBPR.”
The complaint says Barkoe entered into a five-year monitoring contract to end on June 5, 2019. Then, in 2015, Barkoe “signed an addendum with PRN which increased his contract length from five years to licensure long.”
The add-on included a possible exit after evaluation after “five years of complete compliance.”
The contract required Barkoe “refrain from using alcohol; and/or submit to urine, hair or blood drug testing.”
But, the complaint noted, Barkoe “knowingly missed” urine drug tests on July 17, 2017 and March 12, 20219 and tested positive for “phosphatidyl ethanol, a blood alcohol biomarker” on Nov. 28, 2022.
The complaint said, “As a result of his material noncompliance, PRN requested that [Barkoe] refrain from practice and undergo a multidisciplinary recovery status evaluation with a deadline of Jan. 4, 2023.”
Barkoe, the complaint said, missed a required check-in and drug test on Jan. 9, 2023. PRN began the contract termination process. The next day, Barkoe “informed PRN that he was separating” from the contract. So, PRN terminated Barkoe’s contract on March 24, 2023.
The complaint added, Barkoe’s “monitoring contract was terminated due to material noncompliance.”
When asked if this was accurate or if inaccurate, how so, Barkoe answered, “I completed my PRN contract, but when it was time to exit officially, certain terms of my particular contract came to light of which I was unaware. I hired an attorney to settle these issues with PRN.
“My relationship with PRN is a good one, we just disagree on something. This all occurred in January 2023. I have been practicing all this time without a response from the Department of Health until just now with their recent filed complaint.”
“So, it will all have to be decided through the courts and/or legal dealings. I cannot get more specific about the nature of my and PRN’s discrepancy. It’s a private matter.”
