On November 18, 2021, the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) referred a matter involving Joseph Trambulo to the Discipline Committee for a hearing. 

The hearing took place on November 21, 2022. This matter was resolved by way of an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty.

Finding

The panel of the Discipline Committee issued a decision on the finding on November 21, 2022, on the penalty on November 21, 2022 and on costs on November 21, 2022.

After having considered all of the evidence, the panel found Joseph Trambulo to have committed the following acts of professional misconduct:

• paragraph 1 (failing to maintain the standards of practice of the profession);
• paragraph 18 (engaging in conduct or performing an act relevant to the practice of the profession that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional);
• paragraph 26 (failing to keep records in accordance with the standards of practice of the profession);

Penalty

The panel ordered the following penalty, Joseph Trambulo will:

• Receive a reprimand at the conclusion of the hearing (delivered on November 21, 2022)
• Successfully complete counselling with Dr. Lori Haskell, or another counsellor selected by the Registrar
• Serve a suspension, beginning December 2, 2022, until the counselling has successfully been completed
• Participate in practice enhancement coaching after returning to practice

While Joseph Trambulo is serving the suspension, he cannot use the title Physiotherapist, PT or any abbreviation there of. Joseph Trambulo’s name, PT title and/or registration number cannot be use for billing purposes while the suspension is being served.

The panel also ordered Joseph Trambulo to pay costs to the College in the amount of $5,000 to offset some of the costs associated with investigating and prosecuting this case.

As a part of the penalty, the Committee also issued a reprimand which read as follows:

Mr. Trambulo, the panel has found that your behaviour failed to maintain the standards of practice of the profession. For a second time, you have engaged in conduct that would reasonably be regarded as disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional.

Having regard to your previous attendance before the Discipline Committee at this College, we would not have expected to see you again. Had it not been for the submission of an Agreed Statement of Facts and Joint Submission on Penalty and Costs, we would have likely imposed a more stringent penalty.

It’s important to the panel that your suspension is indefinite, and its reinstatement rests upon successful rehabilitation guided by a professional counsellor.

Should you appear before a disciplinary committee for similar behaviour in the future, your previous proceedings will weigh heavily on the penalty consideration at that time.

You can read the full decision of the Discipline Committee of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario at: www.canlii.ca