Cardiologist loses medical license for allegedly ‘fondling and groping’ multiple patients
A New Jersey cardiologist who allegedly “fondled and groped” six female patients during office visits has had his medical license permanently revoked.
John Strobeck, who ran practices in Fair Lawn and Hawthorne, New Jersey, had his license temporarily suspended back in 2015 after he was charged with criminal sexual contact by a grand jury. Now the temporary action has been made permanent.
According to a statement from the Office of the Attorney General, the alleged acts all occurred from 2008 to 2014. Strobeck is accused of “fondling and groping the breasts and genitalia of patients who ranged in age from 51 to 80.” He did this “under the guise of performing medical treatments while alone with them in an exam room.”
The charges were resolved in January 2024 when Strobeck entered into a pretrial intervention program. He is now permanently barred from practicing medicine or surgery in New Jersey. He is also prohibited from “charging, receiving or sharing in any fee for professional services rendered by others” in the state and “must divest himself of any current and future financial interest in or benefit derived from the practice of medicine.”
“Doctors who sexually exploit patients behind the closed door of an exam room are a danger to the public and a disgrace to their profession,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in the statement. “We will continue to investigate and root out sexual misconduct by medical practitioners to protect patients and maintain the integrity of New Jersey’s healthcare profession.”
“Trust is the cornerstone of the doctor-patient relationship, and patients suffer immeasurable harm when doctors abuse that trust for their own sexual gratification,” added Cari Fais, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “The alleged conduct of this physician is so egregious, only the permanent revocation of his license could adequately protect the public from the risks posed by his return to practice.”
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.