Osteopath faces patient lawsuit

By Dan Daly, Journal staff | Thursday, August 30, 2007

RAPID CITY - More than a month after his medical license was suspended by the state of South Dakota, osteopath Jeffrey A. Buckau now faces a civil suit from one of his former patients.

Heidi Rivers, a Pennington County resident who was Buckau's patient from January 2005 to January 2006, filed suit in 7th Circuit Court against the osteopath alleging that he "negligently and carelessly administered doses of dangerous and habit-forming drugs that were detrimental to the health of (Rivers)."

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The suit, filed by attorney Gregory Eiesland, also alleges that Rivers has experienced pain and mental and emotional suffering. She has also incurred medical expenses and loss of earnings, the suit alleges.

Rivers seeks unspecified damages as well as punitive damages.

The claims in the lawsuit are similar to the allegations made by the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners. The board issued an emergency suspension of Buckau's license July 10.

At the time, board officials said they acted because they believed Buckau was over-prescribing narcotics, barbiturates or other habit-forming drugs to his patients.

Buckau's office, Mountainside Family Practice at 3625 Fifth St., has been closed since the suspension. He is entitled to a hearing before the board, and one has tentatively been scheduled for October.

Contacted Thursday, Buckau declined comment. He referred questions to his attorney, Jeff Collins of Rapid City. Collins was out of town and not available for comment.

Osteopathy is a school of medicine and surgery that employs various methods of diagnosis and treatment, but it places special emphasis on the relationship of the musculo-skeletal system with other body systems.

In the United States, osteopaths are fully licensed and considered the equivalent of medical doctors.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or at dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com

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