The Cedar Falls physician has been sanctioned four times by the Board of Medicine
State officials have issued an emergency order suspending the license of a Cedar Falls physician in order to protect the public.
The order marks the fourth time the Iowa Board of Medicine has sanctioned Dr. Ted Bonebrake for alleged substance-abuse issues or violating restrictions on his practice.
Bonebrake, an addiction-medicine and family-medicine physician who has been practicing in the Cedar Falls area, is currently charged by the board with violating an order issued by the Iowa Physician Health Program -- a program that helps physicians cope with mental and physical health issues as well as substance abuse. He is also charged with improper management of medical records.
According to the board, Bonebrake "self-reported to Iowa Physician Health Program at the direction of the board" on Nov. 10, 2022. The board alleges he was then under a cease-practice agreement with the program and was prohibited from working under his Iowa medical license.
The board alleges that at some unspecified point, the program received information indicating Bonebrake was writing multiple prescriptions for narcotics and accepting money for those prescriptions while still under his cease-practice agreement.
The program then nullified its contract with Bonebrake due to what the board calls "ongoing, significant non-compliance." In November 2024, the program referred the matter to the board for review.
The undated emergency order suspending Bonebrake's license was only recently made public. A hearing on the charges was held Dec. 12, but it's not clear what action, if any, has been taken in the case.
Board records indicate that in 2001, three years after Bonebrake was licensed to practice medicine and perform surgery in Iowa, he was hospitalized for alcohol detoxification. In August 2003, the board alleges, Bonebrake twice tested positive for marijuana use.
In September 2003, the board charged Bonebrake with repeatedly violating the terms of his then-current Physician Health Program contract by failing to comply with drug screening requirements on six occasions and failing to attend aftercare meetings on at least nine occasions. The board allowed Bonebrake to keep his license, subject to a substance abuse evaluation and a licensing probationary period of five years.
In September 2004, the board alleged it had received information Bonebrake was consuming alcohol in violation of his licensing probation. As a result, the board in 2005 issued Bonebrake a warning, fined him $1,000 and placed his license on indefinite probation with additional requirements for substance-abuse evaluations, treatment and monitoring.
In December 2005, Bonebrake was involved in a serious car accident after consuming alcohol, the board alleged.
In January 2006, the board charged Bonebrake with habitual intoxication or addiction to the use of drugs or alcohol, and violating a board order. As a result of those charges, Bonebrake agreed to a suspension of his Iowa medical license.
In May 2013, the board agreed to reinstate Bonebrake's license with the understanding that it was being placed on indefinite probation.
On Nov. 30, 2022, the board restored Bonebrake's license to full privileges with no restrictions.