Ottumwa physician agrees to surrender his medical license
Jul 01, 2026 | 11:52 am ET
Description
(Photo courtesy of the Iowa Board of Medicine)
An Ottumwa physician accused by state regulators of failing to comply with an order to submit to a clinical competency evaluation has agreed to surrender his license.
Iowa Board of Medicine records indicate Akhtar Ashraf was issued an Iowa medical license in July 1990, and that the board launched an investigation into his practice, which includes diagnostic radiology, in 2023.
The board alleges that in June 2025, it issued a confidential order requiring Ashraf to undergo a clinical competency evaluation within 30 days. The board has not publicly disclosed the rationale for issuing that order.
Recently, the board said it had determined Ashraf had failed to comply with the order or schedule the competency evaluation. Ashraf, 80, has now indicated that he has chosen to retire from the practice of medicine in Iowa and would like to surrender his license, the board alleges.
The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Ashraf for comment Monday.
Des Moines physician sanctioned
The Iowa Board of Medicine has sanctioned Dr. Matthew R. Brown of Des Moines, an Iowa-licensed physician who practices otolaryngology.
The board reported that it received a complaint alleging that in March 2024, Brown “exhibited unprofessional and rude behavior” toward coworkers. The board charged Brown with unprofessional conduct and recently issued Brown a citation and warning for the violation as part of a settlement agreement.
The board also ordered that Brown pay a $1,00 civil penalty and comply with the December 2025 recommendations of the Professional Resource Center as a result of its evaluation of the matter.
Those recommendations include completion of a continuing medical education course that focuses on improving communication in highly emotionally challenging healthcare settings, and that he engage, for at least one year, a professional coach who works with physicians who have “difficulties with elements of emotional competency and communicating effectively when frustrated.”
Broadlawns Medical Center’s website indicates Brown is the section chief of the hospital’s Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Brown for comment Monday.
Des Moines, IA
