Roanoke-area pediatrician is suspended over alleged sexual, profane comments

Following complaints from co-workers and patients’ parents over sexual and profane comments, the Virginia Board of Medicine suspended the medical license of Roanoke-area pediatrician Dr. Dalton M. Renick on Aug. 22, stating that “a substantial danger to public health or safety” warranted Renick’s summary suspension.

The board’s Notice of Formal Hearing included allegations that Renick, who formerly worked for Carilion Clinic in Roanoke County and New Beginnings Pediatrics in Blacksburg, used sexual and profane language with some patients and their guardians, including comparing syringe feeding a newborn to oral sex and stating that the smell of newborns makes him “want to f**k them.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, New Beginnings noted that Renick “is no longer employed or has any association with New Beginnings Pediatric.” Carilion Clinic issued a statement noting that Renick was terminated by the health system on Feb. 8 and that Carilion is cooperating with the state Board of Medicine’s inquiry. “The claims contained in the Board of Medicine Notice of Hearing are concerning to us, and we take such allegations very seriously,” Carilion Clinic said in the statement. 

While state medicine board documents do not mention where Renick worked for Carilion, the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System’s Provider Identifier Registry connects Renick with the address of Carilion’s Postal Drive pediatrics office in Roanoke County. 

The Board of Medicine’s order noted that a hearing will be set “within a reasonable time” to hear evidence and act on allegations against Renick, who could not be reached for comment Monday.

The board’s notice notes an interview with a Carilion senior director of outpatient pediatrics who reported hearing about behavioral issues with Renick, “mostly related to the use of foul language,” shortly after he was hired by Carilion in August 2021. These included “dropping the ‘f-bomb’ in front of children who were old enough to repeat the language.” After being coached on his behavior, it improved “a bit,” including to the director.  

Additionally, the notice includes allegations that Renick made inappropriate comments about Black, Asian and intellectually disabled people. Another section of the notice includes an interview with a section chief of general pediatrics who stated that Renick had said that “people don’t get my sense of humor.”

New Beginnings Pediatrics in Blacksburg did not return a request for comment. In the Facebook post, the medical office stated that its leadership learned about the allegations against Renick on Aug. 22. “This was not made accessible to the public, including us, until then, and we have responded as fast as possible,” New Beginnings Pediatrics stated.

The post also stated that the office has not received any complaints about Renick. “We remain committed to providing the best care possible to our families and will protect our patients and their families at all costs,” it added. 

On a Roanoke section of the social network and discussion forum Reddit, one poster mentioned Renick had been recommended for neurodivergent patients. Another poster on the site described taking their three children to see Renick at Carilion and that he “was the only … [pediatrician] who listened to [me] about my oldest’s behaviors/delays and got us the referrals we’d desperately needed. We never had encounters of this nature.”

Another Reddit poster on the site thanked “every single employee who came forward and spoke out against him and brought this to light,” noting that Renick was a popular pediatrician in Roanoke.