Key Takeaways
- Florida health officials have summarily suspended Dr. Gerardo A. Gamez’s medical license due to allegations of sexual misconduct with a patient during a visit, determining that his conduct posed an immediate danger to public health and safety.
- Support and legal options are available for survivors of sexual abuse in healthcare settings, underscoring the importance of accountability for both practitioners and the institutions responsible for patient safety.
The Florida Department of Health has issued an Emergency License Suspension against Gerardo Alisangco Gamez, a longtime neurologist who practiced in Lee County, Florida for decades, following allegations that he sexually violated a patient during a medical appointment.
According to a January 15, 2026 Emergency Order, regulators concluded that “Dr. Gamez’s continued practice as a medical doctor constitutes an immediate danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the public,” warranting the immediate suspension of his medical license.
Allegations Described in the Emergency Order
The Order describes an incident alleged to have occurred on May 22, 2025, during a medical visit at Florida Neurology Group’s Cape Coral office, where Dr. Gamez worked at the time. The patient was identified as a 39-year-old woman.
According to the state’s findings, Dr. Gamez allegedly made inappropriate personal remarks during the appointment, including asking the patient to “run away with him.”
The Order states that later in the visit, without warning, Dr. Gamez stood up, grabbed the patient’s face, and kissed her on the mouth. The patient froze. “Gamez then said something about crossing ethical boundaries.” The Order further alleges that he continued the conduct, kissing the patient again and escalating the encounter. The patient pulled away in disgust. According to the Order, “Dr. Gamez had no bona fide (real) medical purpose to kiss [the patient].”
Dr. Gamez reportedly left the room after the incident, and a nurse entered to administer an injection. According to the Florida Department of Health, the patient felt she should report what had happened to the nurse but was afraid that speaking up at that moment could interfere with her ability to receive needed medical care.
After the nurse left, Dr. Gamez reportedly re-entered the room and again referenced “running away” together. According to the Order, the patient “only agreed because she wanted to leave quickly and attempted to defuse the situation and exit the appointment without further escalation.”
The Order further states that Dr. Gamez later contacted the patient by text message without her requesting follow-up communication.
Florida law recognizes the inherent power imbalance between physicians and patients, and patients are presumed incapable of giving free, full, and informed consent to sexual conduct with a treating physician.
Emergency Action Against Dr. Gamez
In issuing the Emergency License Suspension, the Florida Surgeon General concluded that Dr. Gamez abused his position of power:
“Physicians are entrusted by the public to provide treatment to patients in a manner that is safe, to act in the best interest of their patients, and to protect their patients from harm. Accordingly, physicians are required to demonstrate judgment and moral character. Dr. Gamez willfully abused his position of power in order to sexually violate a patient under his care, who trusted him to act professionally and in their best interest. Dr. Gamez’s predatory actions, and his inability to recognize that his conduct was inappropriate and unwelcomed, indicate that Dr. Gamez lacks the good judgment and moral character necessary to be a physician.”
The Emergency Order states that Dr. Gamez’s conduct reflected an indifference to patient well-being, a prioritization of personal desires over patient safety, and an “apparent comfort in engaging in unsolicited sexual behavior with his patients.”
Regulators further concluded that his actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the laws and rules governing the medical profession, raising concerns that similar misconduct could continue if he were allowed to keep practicing.
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Based on these findings, state officials determined that Dr. Gamez’s continued practice as a physician posed an immediate and serious danger to public health, safety, and welfare prompting the immediate suspension of his medical license.
Left: Dr. Gerardo A. Gamez pictured in a 2005 The News-Press archival image associated with Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center. Right: Dr. Gamez pictured in a 1993 The News-Press archival image associated with Neurology Associates of Lee County. Both images courtesy of Newspapers.com.
Dr. Gamez’s Medical Career
According to his archived profile on Florida Neurology Group’s website, “Dr. Gamez completed his neurology residency in 1989 at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Dr. Gamez moved to Fort Myers and began clinical practice in general neurology. His major areas of interest include Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders and seizure disorders.”
Public records and archived newspapers indicate that Dr. Gamez had a longstanding presence in the Lee County medical community dating back to the early 1990s. Early in his career, he worked for Neurology Associates of Lee County and Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center.
Archived newspapers show that Dr. Gamez was recognized as “Physician of the Month” at Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center in 2005.
One of his profiles lists his office location as Associates of Neurological Care in Lee County, which appears to now be the same address as the Fort Myers location of Florida Neurology Group.
Public records indicate that Dr. Gamez held affiliations with multiple Florida health care facilities, including:
- Lee Memorial Health System (now Lee Health)
- Lee Memorial Hospital (part of Lee Health)
- Gulf Coast Medical Center (part of Lee Health)
- HealthPark Medical Center (part of Lee Health)
- Cape Coral Hospital (part of Lee Health)
- Hendry Regional Medical Center
Practitioner profile information also lists professional and community affiliations including the Lee County Medical Society and SWIM Florida, a swim club.
Public licensing records indicate that before the Emergency License Suspension was issued, Dr. Gamez had no reported prior disciplinary history on his Florida medical license, which he has held since December 12, 1988. According to reporting by the Miami Herald, Gamez did not respond to their requests for comment through either email or phone.
The Emergency Order makes clear that a physician’s years of practice, professional recognition, or institutional affiliations do not shield them from accountability when professional and ethical boundaries are violated.
At this time, no publicly available reporting indicates an arrest or criminal charges related to the current allegations.
Prior Mention in Civil Litigation
The News-Press reporting from 2015 mentions that Dr. Gerardo A. Gamez was a named defendant in a civil lawsuit involving patient medical records that were reportedly found in an auctioned-off storage unit.
That civil lawsuit does not appear to have resulted in disciplinary action against Dr. Gamez’s Florida medical license at the time.
Physician Sexual Misconduct and Civil Accountability
Sexual violations by medical professionals can be deeply traumatic.
Survivors may freeze or attempt to placate an abuser in the moment as a way to protect themselves and leave safely. Many may delay reporting due to fear, confusion, shame, or concern about retaliation or losing access to needed medical care.
Misconduct by physicians is often underreported because doctors hold significant authority over patients’ health and access to care. When the physician is well-established or perceived as respected within the community, reporting can feel especially intimidating, with survivors fearing they will not be believed or that speaking up could jeopardize their treatment.
While professional discipline determines whether a physician may continue practicing, civil law provides a separate path to accountability and justice. Civil cases may examine whether medical facilities or supervising entities failed to implement safeguards or respond to warning signs, with a focus on accountability, transparency, and preventing future harm.
Support and Legal Options for Survivors
If you or someone you love were harmed by Dr. Gerardo Gamez or another medical provider, you are not alone, and help is available.
Civil cases can examine whether medical providers, practices, or institutions failed to protect patients or allowed unsafe conditions to persist. Importantly, civil cases do not always require a criminal conviction, and survivors may pursue accountability even when abuse is never prosecuted in criminal court.
Andreozzi + Foote is a nationally recognized civil law firm dedicated to representing survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and exploitation.
Our attorneys have extensive experience handling civil cases involving sexual abuse in Florida and nationwide.
Your voice deserves to be heard, and our attorneys are ready to listen.
Contact us today.
Image sources: Florida Neurology Group, Cape Coral, Florida, © Google, Google Maps. Gerardo A. Gamez, © Google, Google Maps.
