Veterinary board reviews petition to reduce probation for racetrack veterinarian Kim L. Coleman

On Oct. 2, 2025, the California Veterinary Medical Board heard testimony and argument in a petition by Dr. Kim Lewis Coleman to reduce or modify the probation imposed after a stipulated settlement resolving allegations that he dispensed medications and failed to maintain required records for multiple equine patients at San Francisco Equine Inc.

The board's administrative law judge, Brian Weisel of the Office of Administrative Hearings, presided and asked the Department of Justice deputy attorney general, Adriana Lazark, to summarize the procedural history and the allegations. The matter was submitted at the close of the hearing; the panel did not announce a final disposition at that time.

The petition stems from a first amended accusation filed April 7, 2022, alleging multiple violations occurring between July 2 and Aug. 17, 2017 — including claims that Coleman dispensed drugs to roughly 30 equine patients without first performing examinations, dispensed non‑FDA approved or compounded medications, and failed to keep required medical records. Coleman signed a stipulated settlement on Oct. 14, 2022, placing his license on four years' probation with 19 terms; the decision and order took effect Dec. 30, 2022.

At the hearing Coleman testified he has practiced veterinary medicine in California for more than four decades and also holds a license with the California Horse Racing Board. He told the board that since the accusations he and the practice implemented changes focused on record keeping and medication handling, including adopting an electronic treatment record system at the racetrack after 2019. “I’ve been practicing in California for 42 plus years,” Coleman said when asked about his experience. He also agreed with the proposition, stated during the hearing, that "if it’s not in the record, it never happened," and said the continued emphasis on written records has improved his practice.

Deputy Attorney General Lazark summarized the compliance history in the record: Coleman paid the board's cost recovery in full (listed in the record as $71,001.01 as of April 1, 2024) but had been noncompliant at times with probation terms, including late quarterly reports and a late submission of the name and qualifications for his required medical reviewer. The record shows those lapses were corrected after notice from Coleman’s probation monitor.

Coleman said the racing environment had historically relied on confidential daily reports to the California Horse Racing Board and that the racetrack's earlier forms did not capture the same documentation that the Veterinary Medical Board expects. He and other board members discussed the veterinarian–client–patient relationship in a racetrack setting, how the practice has shifted since Northern California racing ceased, and how the smaller caseload in his current ambulatory practice has allowed more time to create detailed records. He testified that a medical reviewer (identified in the hearing record as Dr. Batten) reviewed records monthly and that he completed continuing education focused on medical records annually as a probation requirement.

No board member moved for an immediate action on Coleman’s petition during the hearing. Administrative Law Judge Weisel closed the record and said the case was submitted for the board’s deliberation. The board will issue a written decision after internal deliberations.

Provenance: The petition for Dr. Kim L. Coleman was placed on the record at the start of the hearing (see transcript excerpt beginning "We're on the record before the California Veterinary Medical Board to review the petition for reduction of penalty by doctor Kim L Coleman") and concluded with the hearing officer's statement that "the record is now closed, and the case is submitted."