State Disciplines Five Bucks County Professionals

On Aug. 16, the Pennsylvania Department of State Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs announced it had taken disciplinary actions against 152 licensed or commissioned professionals and organizations since July including five individuals in Bucks County.

The bureau’s 29 boards and commissions license and oversee more than 780,000 active professionals and businesses, including a range of occupations in health and business-related fields.

Violations of the law or state regulations may result in disciplinary actions of civil penalties and the suspension or revocation of a license.

Recent local sanctions included:

Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers:

• Matthew John Moore, licensed, of Newton, had his certificate to appraise real estate suspended for a period of two years, and was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $10,000 for his failure to perform appraisals in a competent manner.

Board of Dentistry:

• Joseph Frank Palermo, licensed, of Chalfont, was suspended for no less than five years, with credit given since May 12, 2011, immediately stayed in favor of no less than five years probation, subject to terms and conditions as set forth in the agreement, because he violated a valid disciplinary order of the Board.

Secretary of the Commonwealth – Notaries Public:

• Samantha A. Dickerson, of Warrington, had her notary commission suspended for a minimum period of three months, with such suspension immediately stayed in favor of probation subject to the Secretary’s terms and conditions, ordered to pay a civil penalty of $250 and an assessment of $150 for the costs of continued monitoring. In addition, Respondent was ordered to attend a notary education class subject to the Secretary’s terms and conditions.
• Lanette Sansoni, of Warminster, had her notary commission disciplined and the Secretary of the Commonwealth accepted the voluntary relinquishment of her right to apply for a new notary commission for a period of five years commencing from the date on which her criminal sentence commenced, October 18, 2010.

Board of Speech-Language and Hearing Examiners:

• Rebecca O'Hara, unlicensed, of Yardley, was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $1,500 and shall immediately cease and desist from practicing or holding herself out as a speech- language pathologist in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania except to the extent that said practice falls within the education exception set forth in the Act because she practiced and held herself out as being able to practice as a speech-language pathologist while she did not hold a valid license issued by the board.