LEWISTON — A Portland doctor who worked at Central Maine Medical Center was disciplined by a state agency for engaging in fraud, deceit and unprofessional conduct.

Dr. Geeta Godara was reprimanded and placed on probation for one year, during which she must maintain and comply with a behavioral monitoring agreement.

She began working at CMMC with privileges in internal medicine on a paid per-diem basis in June 2014. At the same time, she was on a cardiology fellowship at Maine Medical Center in Portland, according to documents at the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine.

In July 2015, CMMC reappointed Godara. A month later, one of her references asked to rescind his reference letter. When CMMC investigated further, the hospital learned that Godara had been placed on probation at the MMC program since February 2015. She was not expected to complete that program on the date originally planned.

Godara had failed to inform CMMC about her MMC probation as her reappointment was being considered at the Lewiston hospital.

Because of CMMC’s inquiries, MMC asked for information about Godara’s per-diem work at CMMC. In late September and early October last year, the MMC fellowship program director received three fictitious letters purporting to come from CMMC that were printed on CMMC letterhead, according to agency documents.

In February, MMC sent a report to the state board. MMC officials reported that Godara had been dropped from its cardiology program in September 2015 “for unprofessional behavior and for violating the terms of her May 2014 probation.” As part of her probation since May 2014, she had been barred from “moonlighting,” according to the agency documents.

She had been put on probation at MMC “for actions relating to untruthful statements about why she did not attend an outing for fellows, which MMC said she was required to attend as part of her obligations as a member of the cardiology fellowship program.”

In September 2015, CMMC told MMC’s cardiology fellowship program director that Godara had been working at the Lewiston hospital and was expected to start working in cardiology there beginning in January; CMMC officials were seeking documentation regarding Godara’s participation in MMC’s cardiology program.

Later that month, Godara made “knowing misstatements” to MMC’s program director that she hadn’t been paid for any clinical work she performed outside of the Portland hospital, including her time at CMMC.

In April, the state board brought a complaint against Godara based on information gleaned from the two hospitals.

In May, Godara underwent a neuropsychological evaluation at the request of the board.

In her June letter to the state, Godara admitted to “inexcusable misconduct of not being truthful about (her) moonlighting work at CMMC during the course of (her) MMC fellowship,” according to the state agency’s documents.

Godara had entered into a behavioral monitoring agreement with the Maine Medical Professionals Health Program in December, she reported. She explained to the state board that she had taken steps to ensure her “aberrational behavior of dishonesty never recurs.” She said she had completed courses aimed at rehabilitation, including completing courses “focused on professional ethics and professionalism.”

Last month, Godara signed the agreement detailing the terms of her probation.

If she were to violate those terms, she could be disciplined by suspension, revocation of her license or denial of re-licensure.

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