© Google A Google street view image of the St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, N.Y.
The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that the doctor slapped patients so hard he sometimes left red marks or hand prints.
St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center faces sanctions over the issue, including a possible termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
A complaint filed in January with the state Health Department identifies the doctor as Michael Clarke, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip replacement. The state health department's findings are the basis of the federal report.
Clarke's lawyer told the newspaper his client denies wrongdoing but won't comment on the investigation.
Source: Associated Press
It's likely that he was just checking if the medicine had taken effect or not. Better be safe than sorry. How else are you going to check?