A Bay Area Kaiser doctor is no longer seeing patients after a complaint was filed by the Medical Board of California stemming from a 2019 arrest where she was accused of 31 counts of animal cruelty – including storing dead cats in her freezer.
The eight-page complaint - sent to the California Attorney General’s Office by Medical Board of California executive director William Prasifka - concerned Dr. Rebecca Darsey, a Davis resident and family medicine doctor at Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center.
In January, 2019, the report said that the Yolo County Sheriff’s office received a call requesting a welfare check on Darsey because of more than 20 animals in her home, while it also expressed concern about Darsey’s 10 year-old son, who lived with her.
Investigators found just one cat and two dogs were registered under her name, while a local veterinarian told them that 21 of Darsey’s animals were unkempt, among other ailments, during her visits.
In addition, officials searched Darsey’s house and it reportedly had a strong smell of pet urine and feces, which made it difficult to breathe. The home was also found to be in “disarray” with multiple bird cages and litter boxes full of fecal matter that hadn’t been cleaned in days.
Officers notified Darsey that they would follow up with her in a week, however she canceled that appointment three days later and authorities never heard back from her.
Police were notified again two months later, when an acquaintance of Darsey also expressed concern about how she treated her animals, and noted that her son couldn’t sleep in his room because it was used to house animals.
Officers arrested Darsey on April 3 on 31 counts of animal cruelty and one count of willful cruelty to a child. Authorities conducted a further search of her house, which still had an "overwhelming" smell of urine and feces and conditions were characterized as "dirty and unsafe." They also found 24 cats, including the six dead kittens in her freezer, five dogs and eight exotic birds.
Child Protective Services were contacted and her son was taken into protective custody and placed under the care of his father.
Yolo County elected to not file criminal charges, however they requested she take a voluntary psychiatric evaluation to determine if her ability to practice medicine was impaired by mental illness.
A report submitted by a board certified psychiatrist on June 26 of this year found that Darsey "suffered from adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety disorder and depressed mood." The report said that she was able to practice medicine safely at this time "if the appropriate monitoring and conditions are met."
"The physician’s continued practice does not pose a threat to public health at this time, but there is a risk that it could in the future," the psychiatrist emphasized.
Prasifka requested a hearing be held to make a decision to revoke or suspend Darsey’s medical license, revoke, suspend or deny her ability to supervise physician assistants and advanced practice nurses and if placed on probation, pay the board the costs of probation monitoring.
Darsey’s medical license, active since 2004, is set to expire on December 31.
Kaiser Permanente officials confirmed to the San Jose Mercury News that she is not seeing patients at this time, but did not elaborate further.
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