Doctor seeks second chance with new office
REDSTONE TWP. – Second chances. That’s what is being sought for the former Brownsville General Hospital, now Brownsville Tri-County Medical Center, and that’s what Dr. Dominic DiLeo is seeking as well. DiLeo has opened an office in the former hospital building, the first physician to resume a medical practice in the building.
“We’re doing this on a step-by-step fashion. We’re opening doctor’s offices inside the hospital at first so people realize we are trying to get the hospital open,” DiLeo said.
The hospital closed a year ago when the previous for-profit owners voluntarily surrendered the hospital license to the state, then declared bankruptcy. The nonprofit owners of the building regained control of the facility in October and are now attempting to restore medical services there.
DiLeo, who was convicted of mail fraud and illegal distribution of narcotics in 1995, served a federal prison sentence and had his medical license suspended for 10 years. His medical license was reinstated in 2005 by the Pennsylvania Department of State’s professional licensure bureau after he passed the special purpose examination by the National Board of Medical Examiners.
In reinstating the license, the State Board of Medicine stated that DiLeo had made “significant progress in personal rehabilitation since his conviction such that his reinstatement should not be expected to create a substantial risk of harm to the health and safety of his patients or the public or a substantial risk of further criminal violations.”
“People remember him as an excellent clinician. We’ve had a lot of telephone response,” Dulik said.
DiLeo’s right to dispense controlled substances also has been restored by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, DiLeo said, and Medicare reinstated its agreement with him as well, he said.
“My crime was over 16 years ago. My trial was 12 years ago. That’s behind me. I passed my medical boards. I’ve had great support from my community and this is my way of giving back to my community,” DiLeo said.
“This is a country of second chances and I just want a second chance to practice medicine again,” DiLeo said.
DiLeo said he welcomes the opportunity to help restore medical services to the former hospital, though he is playing just one small part, he said.
“There are some really outstanding doctors in the Brownsville area and they are all going to be part of this,” DiLeo said. “Brownsville’s not trying to compete with Uniontown Hospital. We’re trying to open an urgent care center to take some of the burden off,” DiLeo said.
Urgent care at Brownsville is still at least six weeks away, but in the meantime, DiLeo is practicing at the hospital from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.