Dr. Yorai ‘Benny’ Benzeevi could face a suspension or revocation of his medical license in a case filed by the Medical Board of California in April. The case was filed after his no contest plea to multiple felonies related to his time managing the Tulare Regional Medical Center and the Southern Inyo Hospital.
An “accusation” filing dated April 24 by Reji Varghese, Executive Director of the Medical Board of California, sought to have Benzeevi’s medical license suspended or revoked.
Benzeevi was CEO of Healthcare Conglomerate Associates (HCCA), a hospital management company that ran two hospitals – Tulare Regional from 2014 to 2017, and Southern Inyo from 2016 to 2017.
According to the complaint, Varghese is asking the Board to revoke or suspend, “Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate Number A 76975, issued to Respondent Yorai Shimon Benzeevi, M.D. Revoking, suspending or denying approval of Respondent Yorai Shimon Benzeevi, M.D.’s authority to supervise physician assistants and advanced practice nurses, and ordering Respondent Yorai Shimon Benzeevi, M.D., to pay the Board the costs of the investigation and enforcement of this case, and if placed on probation, the costs of probation monitoring.”
Benzeevi was issued a Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate in 2001. His certificate will expire on November 30, 2025, unless he is able to renew it.
The complaint states, Benzeevi “is subject to disciplinary action under section 2236 of the [Business and Professions] Code, in that he was convicted of a crime that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a physician.”
He is also being subject to disciplinary action for violating section 2234 of the Code.
Section 2234 states, “The board shall take action against any licensee who is charged with unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct includes ‘the commission of any act involving dishonesty or corruption that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a physician and surgeon.’”
Benzeevi was originally charged in August 2020 with 45 counts of criminal conduct, but after a long and protracted legal battle, he pleaded no contest to only six felonies and two misdemeanors in a deal with the Tulare County District Attorney’s office. He entered his plea in February 2024, and was sentenced in November 2024.
Once convicted, the court had an obligation to report it to the medical board.
Varghese, on behalf of the medical board, is being represented by the California Attorney General’s office lawyers Edward Kim, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, and Nisha S. Lakhani, Deputy Attorney General.
John Sarsfield, of the Law Offices of Melo and Sarsfield, said the Attorney General’s office acts as the “prosecutor” in the administrative licensing hearing, similar to a trial, and will “prove” the allegations in the complaint to an administrative law judge.
The judge will then issue an opinion which is essentially a recommendation to the Medical Board as a whole. The Medical Board makes the final decision voting to suspend his license, revoke his license, something in between, or simply do nothing, said Sarsfiled.
“This is just your standard medical board disciplinary action for his felony conviction and general bad behavior,” said Sarsfield. “Normally the hearing is set for about four months after the complaint is filed.”
Though Benzeevi is still being represented while still on probation by Nina Marino from Kaplan and Marino Law Firm, she may not be representing him in the medical board case.
Marino defended him during his criminal trial, but administrative law is a specialty not usually practiced by criminal lawyers, said Sarsfield.
Kevin Northcraft, President of the Tulare Local Healthcare District Board of Directors, said discussion of the complaint has been agendized for their May 28th meeting. Because the Tulare board is mentioned in the complaint the directors will discuss possibly submitting a “friend of the court” filing.
The Tulare board meets at Evolutions Gym in Tulare at 7:00pm.
Northcraft said many of Benzeevi’s transgressions are unrelated to being a doctor, but the ethical ramifications of what he did are serious.
“Vengeance is not a good motive, but there were other factors involved in this case,” he said.
In response to if the Medical Board takes into consideration the crime not having anything to do with being a doctor Sarsfield responded “typically not.”
“The board doesn’t like any felony convictions at all. In theory they can overlook it, but that is very rare,” he said.
Benzeevi would be in prison if DA Tim Ward did his job and didn’t run scared and make him a sweet plea deal when Benny hired a good attorney.