CENTERVILLE — Dr. Timothy J. Heyd, a Centerville physician whose license was suspended briefly in 2005 because he had an affair with a patient, has lost his license again after the state Medical Board learned he had sex with two other patients and lied to the board about his behavior.

The 43-year-old Heyd, whose practice included 3,000 patients, begins a two-year suspension today, Nov. 8.

The Medical Board issued the suspension Oct. 6, saying Heyd violated medical ethics by having sex with the patients, perjured himself during 2003 testimony before the board, failed to cooperate with the board investigation, and made false statements to secure a medical license.

Heyd, in a prepared statement, said he didn't treat the women after the sexual relationships began, but failed to terminate the doctor-patient relationship in writing, as the Medical Board requires. However, in at least the first affair, the board found he did act as the woman's doctor after the affair began.

In an Oct. 22 letter to his patients, Heyd said he lost his license due to some "bad personal decisions."

"I am truly sorry that my actions will be affecting you," he wrote. "With the loving support of my wife, my children and God, I will make it through this tough time."

A native of Cincinnati, Heyd is a 1990 graduate of the Wright State University School of Medicine. He was board certified in family medicine in 1994.

According to Medical Board records, Heyd met a nurse at Miami Valley Hospital, where they both worked, in late 1995 or early 1996. She became his patient and, in 1998, his lover. Heyd, who was married to his first wife and had two small children at the time, testified he broke off the affair in April 1998 but learned the following month that the patient was pregnant.

Heyd later testified he told the woman "my life would be ruined" if his wife learned he fathered her child. "We discussed the options at length, and together, given both of our family situations, we decided together that it would be best if we terminated the pregnancy."

Heyd accompanied her to the Women's Medical Center of Dayton in Kettering in June 1998 and, in a deviation from standard clinic practice, was present during the abortion. The clinic sent her post-operative report to Heyd's office, and he read and initialed it.

In 2003, Heyd testified he had no sexual relationships with other patients, when in fact he'd had sex with a second patient in 2000, according to the Medical Board.

The board suspended Heyd for two months in May 2005 on charges related to the first affair, not knowing about the second. In August 2005, shortly after his reinstatement, he began the third sexual relationship with another patient.

"You inappropriately utilized information garnered during the course of the physician-patient relationship in your subsequent sexual relationship with Patient 3," the board said earlier this year.

Alter High School Principal Nicole Brainard said Heyd was fired as the school's sports team physician in May 2005, when the first suspension occurred. No students were sexually involved with Heyd, she said.

Hundreds of Heyd's patients wrote letters of support to the Medical Board, his attorney said.

"It just makes us heartsick that he's going to be gone for so long and we certainly hope he comes back," said patient Rosalie Catalano. "He's one of the most caring (doctors) we've ever known."

Her husband, Paul Ginsburg, agreed. "I think it's not fair to impact us for stuff that happened between consenting adults. It doesn't affect his efficacy as a physician."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2264 or tbeyerlein@DaytonDailyNews.com.