State Suspends Birmingham Physician's License Following Conviction

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) suspended the medial license of Rosanne Murphy, M.D., of Birmingham, following on her felony conviction for drunken driving.

In April, Murphy, 59, pleaded guilty as charged to a count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Oakland County Circuit Court, records show. The conviction — her third — stemmed from her arrest for drunken driving in Bloomfield Township last September.

Operating While Intoxicated – 3rd Offense is a felony in Michigan, and Circuit Judge Leo Bowman sentenced Murphy to 183 days in jail, with credit for two days served. He also ordered three years of probation with several restrictions, 60 days of community service, and more than $2,000 in fines and costs, court records show.

State regulators with LARA issued an order this week summarily suspending Murphy’s license to practice medicine per the Public Health Code, which provides for the mandatory summary suspension of a health professional’s license upon the conviction of a felony, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a maximum term of two years, or a controlled substance-related conviction.

Robert Larin, Murphy's defense attorney, said he was surprised to learn of the suspension Monday.

"I'm very surprised by a suspension because she never had a drink while involved in providing medical care, and that was never alleged," he said of Murphy, a gastroenterologist that was affiliated with the Henry Ford Medical Center. Hospital officials said she was terminated in 2010. "She's done everhthing she can and that they've asked her to do." 

This story was updated to reflect Murphy was terminated from the Henry Ford Medical Center in 2010.