A pediatric neurologist who has accused the Iowa Board of Medicine of metaphorically holding a knife to his throat as part of a campaign to “get him, no matter what,” is pursuing legal action against the licensing board.
Dr. Hamza Alsayouf, a child neurologist and epileptologist who once worked as a pediatric neurologist at Mercy Medical Center in des Moines, first took the board to court last year in an effort to gain access to its confidential investigative records.
Alsayouf claimed that in February 2024, he received an “investigative inquiry” from the board notifying him that it was conducting an investigation based on allegations that he had been convicted, in absentia, of some sort of a crime by a court in Dubai.Denying any knowledge of such legal proceedings, Alsayouf asked the board in April 2024 to provide him with a copy of its investigative file so he could respond to the allegations. The board refused, arguing that because it had not filed any charges against Alsayouf at that point he was not entitled under Iowa law to see the investigative material.
Alsayouf then went to court, asking a judge to issue an order temporarily preventing the board from continuing to pursue its investigation. The court refused and stated that while there is no argument that licensees are entitled to the board’s investigative file once charges are filed,the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in the past that such disclosure “is barred unless or until a disciplinary proceeding against the licensee is initiated.”
The court’s decision cleared the way for the board to continue its investigation without turning over its records. Alsayouf appealed the decision, after wich the board notified him it was continuing to investigate the claims first referenced in the 2024 letter.
Doctor: ‘Army of Iowa officials’ are out to get him
Now, Alsayouf is pursuing additional legal action against the board and is again seeking a court order to halt any further board action against him. His attorney, michael sellers, argues that the board has embarked on a fundamentally different investigation, as evidenced by the new allegation that the alleged misconduct involves Alsayouf failing to notify the board of the purported c