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pharmacies, and the clinic billed Medi-Cal for medical services
provided to low-income individuals.
California law prohibits individuals from owning or
operating a medical clinic unless they are medical doctors and
are licensed to practice medicine in California.5
As indicated, Ahmed did not have a medical license. To
circumvent the above restriction on ownership of his medical
clinic, Ahmed represented to the Medical Board of California
(Medical Board) that his clinic was owned by a partnership
between one Wael Elkholy (Elkholy) and Ahmed’s wife, both of whom
were medical doctors. Elkholy, who apparently resided in
Connecticut, did not know of his purported ownership interest in
the clinic, and he did not authorize Ahmed to represent to the
Medical Board that he had an ownership interest in the clinic.
The record herein is unclear as to whether Ahmed’s wife knew that
Ahmed had used her name in connection with the clinic or if she
had authorized Ahmed to do so.
In the early 1990s, Ahmed had met Elkholy in New York City,
while each, respectively, was studying for the pharmacy and for
5 See Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code secs. 2415, 2285 (West 2003 &
Supp. 2005); Steinsmith v. Med. Bd., 85 Cal. App. 4th 458 (2000).
In addition, Cal. law requires shareholders, officers, and
directors of medical clinics to be licensed physicians. Cal. Bus
& Prof. Code sec. 2408 (West 2003 & Supp. 2005); Cal. Corp. Code
sec. 13401 (West 1987 & Supp. 2005).
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Last modified: May 25, 2011