OB/GYN found using stolen social security information to further his career
His patients and co-workers at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Maryland called him Dr. Akoda. But federal authorities revealed this OB/GYN to be Oluwafemi Charles Igberase. A man who was able to practice and expand his medical career over the past 25 years with the help of several stolen social security numbers and a variety of forged documents.
This was a man who provided care to women during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. He gave them checkups, listened and prescribed solutions to their ailments, and delivered their children. There are currently more than 100 former patients of Igberase who are taking part in a class-action lawsuit against Prince George’s. They claim that the hospital failed to perform a thorough background check on Igberase, otherwise it would have uncovered various discrepancies in his personal and professional history. According to a statement released by Prince George’s, “several highly reliable agencies validated his credentials including the states in which he held medical licenses.”
As of November 2016, Igberase has admitted to using four separate Social Security numbers under three different names when applying for medical certifications, his license to practice medicine, and federal education loans for his children. He has also been found responsible for forging/altering his medical diploma, medical transcripts, and letters of recommendation, as well as his passport, visa, birth certificate, and immigration documents.
The hospital has attempted to dismiss the claims of negligence brought against them. Their parent company, Dimensions Health Corp., filed a statement saying, “whether the patients knew him as ‘Akoda’ or ‘Igberase,’ both names denote the exact same person, and that person was a licensed physician who was experienced and competent in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology.”