State says psychologist won’t respond to patient-abandonment complaint

By: Clark Kauffman - September 4, 2023 9:00 am

The Bureau of Professional Licensing is part of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. (Photo via Canva with state logos courtesy of Iowa DHHS)

An eastern Iowa psychologist is facing disciplinary charges related to allegations of patient abandonment.

The Iowa Board of Psychology alleges that in June 2022, it received a complaint that licensed psychologist Tracy Ksiazak of Iowa City had abandoned a juvenile patient by failing to respond to inquiries on the patient’s behalf.

In August and October 2022, the board alleges, it sent Ksiazak letters about the complaint and received no response. In April of this year, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office repeatedly tried to physically serve Ksiazak with the board’s letter of inquiry, in part by leaving her voicemail messages and placing written notices on her door, according to board records. Ksiazak has failed to respond in any way, the board alleges.

The board has formally charged Ksiazak with regulatory violations, although the precise nature of those charges has yet to be publicly disclosed.

A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 2. Ksiazak’s psychology license remains active and is scheduled to expire in June 2024.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Ksiazak for comment.

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Clark Kauffman

Deputy Editor Clark Kauffman has worked during the past 30 years as both an investigative reporter and editorial writer at two of Iowa’s largest newspapers, the Des Moines Register and the Quad-City Times. He has won numerous state and national awards for reporting and editorial writing.