State-employed physician associate accused of having sex with prison-inmate patient

Iowa regulators have issued an emergency order suspending the license of a physician associate who was accused of having sex with a prison-inmate patient while working for the Iowa Department of Corrections.

The Iowa Board of Physician Associates has charged Kyle L. Parks with unethical conduct, an offense the board describes as including verbally or physically abusing a patient and improper sexual contact with a patient.

The board alleges it has investigated complaints related to Parks’ conduct in his practice as a physician associate and concluded that Parks had an improper sexual relationship with a patient who was an inmate at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center where Parks worked at the time.

The board has opted not to publicly disclose when the alleged conduct took place.

In choosing to impose an emergency suspension of Parks’ license while the disciplinary charge is pending, the board stated “there is credible information to demonstrate that (Parks) had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a patient” and that “the matter has been sufficiently investigated to ensure the board is proceeding on the basis of reliable information.”

The board also said it had concluded that “the circumstances which pose immediate danger to the public are continuing,” and that the immediate suspension of Parks’ license is “necessary to protect the public health, safety, or welfare until this case is resolved.”

A board hearing on the matter is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2026.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Parks for comment.

State employment records show Parks worked for the Iowa Department of Corrections from 2008 until sometime in 2025 when he was separated from employment. His annual salary in 2025 was reported to be $134,256.