Opinion ID: 164103
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dr. Dubriwny

Text: Dr. Dubriwny is board certified in psychiatry and neurology. Id. at 284. On September 30, 1999, Dr. Dubriwny completed a Mental Status Form in which he: (1) diagnosed plaintiff as suffering from a “pain [disorder] associated [with] psychological and organic factors”; and (2) concluded that plaintiff’s “chronic -9- pain prohibits entering into work structure.” Id. at 190. As the ALJ noted, however, Dr. Dubriwny examined plaintiff only once, in September 1997. Id. at 19, 191-93. The ALJ concluded that because Dr. Dubriwny had not examined Plaintiff since 1997, his opinion of her condition was entitled only to limited deference. Given the other, contradictory evidence in the record the ALJ then rejected Dr. Dubriwny’s conclusion that Plaintiff was unable to work. Plaintiff contends that the ALJ erred in not giving controlling weight to the opinion of Dr. Dubriwny. “The threshold question is whether Dr. [Dubriwny] was in fact a ‘treating physician’ within the meaning of the regulations. If not, his opinion was not entitled to the presumption of controlling weight accorded to the properly supported opinion of a treating physician.” Doyal v. Barnhart , 331 F.3d 758, 762 (10th Cir. 2003). The key inquiry for purposes of resolving this issue is whether plaintiff’s relationship with Dr. Dubriwny was of sufficient duration and frequency: The treating physician doctrine is based on the assumption that a medical professional who has dealt with a claimant and his maladies over a long period of time will have a deeper insight into the medical condition of the claimant than will a person who has examined a claimant but once, or who has only seen the claimant’s medical records. .... -10- A physician's opinion is therefore not entitled to controlling weight on the basis of a fleeting relationship, or merely because the claimant designates the physician as her treating source. Absent an indication that an examining physician presented the only medical evidence submitted pertaining to the relevant time period, the opinion of an examining physician who only saw the claimant once is not entitled to the sort of deferential treatment accorded to a treating physician’s opinion. Id. at 762-63 (quotations omitted) (emphasis in original). On December 13, 1999, plaintiff was examined by Dr. Goodman, also a board-certified psychiatrist and neurologist, and Dr. Goodman prepared a consultative report on behalf of the Commissioner. See Aplt. App., Vol. 2 at 241-43, 288. In his report, Dr. Goodman concluded that plaintiff had “no independent psychiatric difficulty that would interfere with her ability to work.” Id. at 243. Given Dr. Goodman’s opinion, it is clear that Dr. Dubriwny did not present the only psychiatric evidence pertaining to plaintiff’s alleged pain disorder. Dr. Dubriwny’s single examination of plaintiff is clearly the type of “fleeting relationship” that does not qualify him as a treating psychiatrist. See Doyal , 331 F.3d at 763. And because Dr. Dubriwny’s opinion is not the only medical evidence regarding this issue, “the ALJ was not required to give [his] opinion controlling weight.” Id. at 764. Even though the ALJ was correct that Dr. Dubriwny was not a treating physician, “the ALJ was still required to consider his opinion, and to provide -11- specific, legitimate reasons for rejecting it.” Id. (citations omitted). In his decision, the ALJ concluded that “[t]he objective medical evidence demonstrates that [plaintiff’s] pain has improved significantly since she last visited Dr. Dubriwny and that passage of time significantly diminishes the weight given to his medical opinion.” Aplt. App., Vol. 2 at 19. The ALJ gave greater credence to Dr. Goodman’s opinion that plaintiff has no independent psychiatric impediment to holding down a job. Substantial evidence, particularly Dr. Goodman’s report, supports the ALJ’s decision on this point, and therefore the ALJ’s rejection of Dr. Dubriwny’s opinion was sufficiently supported in the record. See Doyal , 331 F.3d at 764.