Dec. 21—The Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners — the vet licensing panel for the state — by unanimous vote on Dec. 13 denied an application for a state license submitted by the owner of Village Veterinary Clinic located at 4965 Peavine Rd.
The veterinarian can reapply at any time, attorney Tim Peters told the board.
Kari Anne Jenkins Bechler appeared before the panel of seven during which a hearing was held on her application.
Peters outlined what state officials learned during their investigation into non-compliance with state law as it pertains to practicing vets. Issues included performing between 100 and 500 surgeries since June while unlicensed, not having the new office inspected by the state, not having a license prominently displayed in the office and practicing as a licensed vet during 2023 despite not being licensed.
Bechler explained how a series of misunderstandings and incidents led to her belief she was operating the animal clinic despite not having a veterinary license or Drug Enforcement Administration license to dispense drugs in her practice.
Peters told the board during the Dec. 13 hearing, "This is an unusual case," with "odd circumstances," as he outlined the findings of a probe into the practice. What sparked the interest of the state was an application for a state license in June filed by Bechler. The time lapse for the past two years was a red flag to the state.
The surrender of the vet's DEA number which allows for the dispensing of drugs — including controlled substances — caused a visit to the clinic on what could be described as a fact-finding mission.
Bachelor addressed the board, stating she had relocated her practice of a mobile animal clinic in the Savannah, GA, area, to Tennessee where she purchased the practice of retiring vet Dr. Dan Woodward. The clinic was moved from a rental property to a building nearby on Peavine Rd. near Fairfield Glade.
Bechler said she allowed her license in Georgia to lapse with the move and she believed the formality of the application process in Tennessee was in good standing and continued her practice. She later discovered there was a "paper work mess up."
Bechler said she tried to get three licensed relief vets to cover the practice while she attempted to get the license paperwork issue resolved. She admitted when some of her relief vets failed to show up for work, she would handle cases despite not being licensed in Tennessee.
Bechler added that she learned there was a problem with her DEA number when a client "suddenly had trouble getting medications from a pharmacy" that was unable to find her DEA number on file. She believes the pharmacy, and possibly one person, reported her to the state.
When Bechler purchased an X-ray machine for the new office, the state regulatory agency over X-ray permits inspected her site. But, the state board governing veterinarians was never called to inspect the new building as required by law.
Despite her belief that the application process filed in 2021 was underway, Bechler could provide no documentation that she had sent in the required licensing fee with her application. She told the panel all she had was a missing check from her checkbook but that check had never been cashed.
She added that other documents — including her diploma — were lost when a storage room flooded in December 2021. She admitted she did not contact the board about her license.
After the local pharmacy denied to fill her prescription for a client, Bechler told the board she ordered prescription medications from a Florida supplier and had them shipped to her house in Georgia where she was allowing a friend to live. She would then make the 16-hour drive periodically to pick up the drugs and return to Tennessee with them. None of the medications involved were Schedule or controlled medications, she added.
She said she performed surgeries using non-controlled medications. She added later that she had not been back in the clinic since October.
Peters told the panel there were two things the board needed to be concerned with. "One is the application had the deficiencies which we are talking about, and the explanation of what happen, and then what the practice was doing and how it was being conducted without a license ..."
Peters was asked by one board member if there were any other legal proceedings going on and Peter responded, "No," but added that was not the function of the application process.
"Do you feel good about what is going on today?" Bechler was asked by a board member.
She responded, "No."
The board member continued that the purpose of the board was to "protect the people against unscrupulous, improper, illegal activities and it is quite clear everything that has come out today is not legal, in many ways, and I don't feel good about what I am hearing ..."
"We know the animals of Crossville need good veterinary care, and this board wants that for the people of Crossville and we can't determine whether you are a good veterinarian or a bad veterinarian but we can determine your actions are not good and I am of the opinion we need to protect the people and there's are a lot of things that need to occur before you come back to this board and ask for a license."
That board member then made the motion to deny the license. The motion was approved unanimously.
Board members present were Dr. Angela Zinkus, Dr. Montgomery McInturff, Dr. Mark Garrett, Dr. Cathryn Yuma's, Dr. Sarah Spidel, Dr. Samantha Beaty (state veterinarian), all licensed veterinarians, and Leslie Wereszcak, a licensed veterinary medical technician.
In September, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office was asked to look into a report of Belcher using the credentials of a semi-retired veterinarian to practice animal care and write prescriptions.
The complainant went on to say the person was using the complainant's name and other vets' names to write prescriptions that were passed and filled at Crossville pharmacies for at least two years.
Reportedly no veterinarian license in the name of the person practicing as a vet could be located in Tennessee, an incident report filed by Capt. Jeff Slayton stated. The state was notified.
Messages for a return call for comment from Robert West, director of the office of investigations for the Tennessee Department of Health, and Dr. Belchler were not returned at press deadline.
