Physical Therapy Board Hears Petition from James Kyung Cho to End Probation Early

Sacramento — The Physical Therapy Board of California heard a petition June 25 asking that licensee James Kyung Cho be granted early termination of a five‑year probation imposed after a stipulation to disciplinary allegations.

The hearing took place before Administrative Law Judge Patrice de Guzman Huber of the Office of Administrative Hearings and a quorum of board members in the Department of Consumer Affairs hearing room. The attorney representing the state urged the board to deny the petition, while the petitioner’s attorney asked the board to end probation now on rehabilitative grounds. After receiving evidence and testimony the board closed the record and went into closed session to deliberate; no decision was announced on the record.

The petition concerns allegations that Cho provided unnecessary or excessive physical therapy to nine elderly patients in a skilled nursing facility and that he failed to properly supervise an assistant who was not licensed. The attorney general’s office described the conduct as serious and asked the board to “finish what we started” and require the petitioner to serve the full five‑year term of probation. As the attorney general said in opening: “We ask that in light of these egregious circumstances that the petitioner who has only served 2 and a half years probation so far be denied his request for relief from probation and that the full term be extended.”

Why it matters: The case raises questions about provider supervision, documentation and billing in skilled nursing settings and the board’s role in protecting vulnerable patients in long‑term care. The board’s decision will determine whether Cho’s probation ends early or continues to its full term.

What happened at the hearing

Evidence and exhibits: The attorney general’s office introduced a series of exhibits, including the notice of hearing, the original petition and the certified copy of the petitioner’s probation report. The petitioner’s counsel offered multiple letters of reference and a brief that were admitted as defense exhibits.

Allegations summari…