UCSF/SFGH Joins Other Health Specialists in Offering Free Services to Victims of Medical Fraud

San Francisco District Attorney Kamala D. Harris was joined yesterday (June 7, 2006) by Mitch Katz, MD, Director of San Francisco's Department of Public Health (DPH); Sue Carlisle, MD, from UCSF's School of Medicine program at SFGH; Robert Mithun, MD, Physician in Chief, Kaiser San Francisco Medical Center; and Gene Lau, MD, Chief of Medicine, Kaiser San Francisco Medical Center to announce a new program that will provide free immunization services and blood tests to victims of Stephen Brian Turner, an unlicensed doctor who defrauded hundreds of immigrants. Turner recently pleaded guilty to practicing medicine without a license, mishandling blood samples, offering false records for filing and grand theft. The defendant operated out of two Mission Street locations as well as in other counties and targeted victims who were hoping to gain entry and/or residency to the United States. Investigators believe that more than 1,400 victims were seen by the defendant in San Francisco. Victims of Stephen Turner should call 415-554-2681. The phone line has information available in four languages: English, Spanish, Cantonese and Russian. Individuals should leave a message and will have their call returned within 48 hours with specific information of where they can go to receive their services. The special phone line set up by DPH will be operational through July 29, 2006. These services are available to all victims of defendant Turner, but the services are only offered in San Francisco. Medical professionals from the UCSF School of Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital and Kaiser San Francisco Medical Center will provide voluntary assistance to DPH if needed. "We would like to thank our Department of Public Health for providing much needed services to the innocent victims who were targeted by this greedy man," said District Attorney Harris. "We also appreciate the support of the UCSF School of Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital and Kaiser San Francisco Medical Center, who have been working with us for several months on creating this program to ensure these victims receive the proper immunizations and blood tests." Harris added.