News Release — December 23, 2002

---

December 23, 2002

Medical Board Accusation Leads to Surrender of
Whittier Physician's Medical License

SACRAMENTO—Facing a formal Accusation of unprofessional conduct by the Medical Board of California, former Whittier physician Reuben L. Hilde, Jr., M.D. has surrendered his license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of his medical license was ordered on November 27, 2002 and became effective on December 4, 2002.

The Medical Board accused Hilde of unprofessional conduct for violating Business and Professions Code sections 2234(b), (c), (d) and (e) in that he committed acts constituting gross negligence, incompetence, repeated negligent acts, acts of dishonesty, aided the unlicensed practice of medicine, failed to maintain adequate and accurate records, used alcohol dangerous to self or public, and violated drug statutes in his care and treatment of up to 11 patients.

Hilde performed surgery on patients in an unaccredited surgical facility; administered heavy sedation/general anesthetic, when in many cases the patient paid separately for anesthesiologist services; failed to generate adequate anesthesia and accurate operative records on patients to whom he administered heavy sedation/general anesthetics; failed to monitor and record oxygen saturation in preparation for surgery; and failed to conduct and document adequate preoperative physical examinations before administering sedation and anesthetic.

Further, Hilde failed to defibrillate two patients who went into ventricular fibrillation and ultimately died. He failed to provide accurate clinical information regarding a patient's blood loss to paramedics and emergency room physicians, altered the operating room record on a patient after initiation of a malpractice suit, and at an unknown date subsequent to the patient's death, removed a chart note and created and falsely date-stamped a replacement note. He used the services of untrained staff to perform surgery that required anaesthesia and sedatives that had the probability of placing the patient at risk for loss of life-preserving protective reflexes. He falsely informed a patient that he had staff privileges at Eisenhower Hospital.

Hilde was further subject to disciplinary action for unprofessional conduct for his use of alcohol in violation of Business and Professions Code section 2239. He was stopped by the CHP for driving his car at 110 miles per hour in a 65 miles-per-hour zone and failed a sobriety test. In the CHP's search of his vehicle, a Smith and Wesson handgun was found in a briefcase and a partially full glass of wine was on the front, passenger-side floor. Subsequently, a four-count criminal complaint was filed against him in the Riverside County Superior Court.

Lastly, Hilde was charged with violating drug statutes in violation of Business and Professions Code section 2238 after the Drug Enforcement Administration performed a drug audit of his surgical facility in Rancho Mirage and agents found a number of controlled substances among the drugs he maintained at the facility. He does not have DEA registration to maintain controlled substances at this facility and they were seized.

Hilde signed a Stipulation for Surrender of License and waived his rights to a hearing. After the Medical Board formally accepted the surrender of his license on December 4, 2002, Hilde lost all rights and privileges to practice as a physician and surgeon in the State of California.

********

The Medical Board of California is the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating physicians in this state.

www.medbd.ca.gov
Information about specific physicians: (916) 263-2382
Complaint line: (800) 633-2322

###

---