Iowa physician again faces sex-related disciplinary charges

An Iowa physician previously sanctioned for sexual misconduct is now facing disciplinary charges of sexual harassment.

The Iowa Board of Medicine has charged Dr. Danny Lewis Jr., a family-practice physician from Waterloo, with unprofessional conduct and sexual harassment. The board has not disclosed any information as to the nature of the conduct that gave rise to the charges, nor has it disclosed where or when the alleged conduct took place, or whether it involved a patient.

In March 2020, Lewis entered into a settlement agreement with the board after he was charged with sexual misconduct. In that case, the board had alleged Lewis entered into a sexual relationship with a female patient in September 2019, and that he continued to treat the patient, while engaged in a sexual relationship with her, until November 2019.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Lewis accepted a warning from the board and paid a $1,000 civil penalty. As part of the settlement, Lewis agreed to complete educational training on professional boundaries program and his license was placed on probation for three to five years.

Two years later, in March 2022, the board concluded Lewis had successfully complied with the terms of the settlement agreement and it terminated his probation, restoring his license to full privileges, free and clear of any restrictions.

A board hearing on the current set of charges against Lewis is scheduled for April 17, 2026.

Other Iowa physicians recently sanctioned by the board include:

— Dr. Tyson K. Cobb of Bettendorf, who was charged with failing to keep accurate medical records after it was discovered that a patient’s file wrongly indicated he had performed surgery on the individual. As part of a recent settlement agreement with the board, Cobb agreed to accept a warning, pay a $500 civil penalty, and complete educational training on medical recordkeeping.

In 2011, the board charged Cobb with disruptive behavior, including a pattern of contentious, threatening or intractable behavior that had the potential to interfere with patient care. The board also charged him with performing a surgical procedure on the incorrect anatomical site of a patient.

The 2011 charges stemmed from allegations that Cobb mistakenly began operating on a patient’s index finger rather than the ring finger which was the intended surgical site. In that case, the board issued Cobb a warning, imposed a $10,000 civil penalty, and ordered counseling in the wake of Cobb’s completion of a psychological evaluation related to disruptive behavior.

— Dr. David Robbins of West Des Moines, who is the medical director of the Coachlight Clinic and Spa, was charged by the board with violating rules that require direct, in-person, on-site supervision of qualified non-physicians and laser technicians.

The board alleged Robbins did not properly supervise the spa staff to whom he had delegated medical aesthetic services. According to the board, Robbins “was unaware of the rules requiring such supervision.” The board issued Robbins a warning and imposed a $10,000 civil penalty.

This article first appeared in Iowa Capital Dispatch.