Lori Chern has been barred from meeting patients in her home after a complaint alleged she offered a patient sex during an August blood pressure appointment. The British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives also limited where she can work while its investigation continues.
The complaint came from a patient who said he arrived at Chern’s house for a blood pressure check. He said she sat “right next to him,” caressed his arm, complimented his physique, and told him that “sex was very important for a man to regulate himself and be in good health.”
BCCNM order on Lori Chern
After the August visit, the patient filed a report with BCCNM and attached screenshots of text messages he said Chern sent him. He also said she failed to complete necessary documentation after a referral from a pharmacist.
BCCNM found a prima facie case that Chern committed sexual misconduct as defined in the Health Professions and Occupations Act. The committee said there could be a risk of harm to the public if temporary restrictions were not imposed on her practice.
The order prohibits Chern from meeting patients in her home. It says she may only practice at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital and Princeton General Hospital until the investigation is complete and the restrictions are lifted or she is dismissed.
Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital
The same order says there were no restrictions placed on Chern’s employment at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital and Princeton General Hospital. For patients who saw her in a home setting, the practical change is immediate: that setting is no longer available while the case is being reviewed, and only the two listed facilities remain open to her practice under the order.
