Eric R. Braverman (born December 28, 1957)^[5] is an American physician and author. He is the medical director of PATH (Place for Achieving Total Health) Medical and coordinator of clinical research for PATH Foundation NY, both of which are located in New York City. PATH has filed for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Braverman is listed by Quackwatch as a promoter of questionable health products.^[6] Critics accuse him of promoting quackery.^[6][7]

Braverman earned his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University in 1979, and his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine in 1983.^[8]

Braverman served as clinical assistant professor of integrative medicine in neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College (2008–2013), assistant attending physician at Cabrini Medical Center, and instructor in psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine.^[9] He holds an appointment as Courtesy Assistant Professor at the University of Florida.^[10] He is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, the American Neuropsychiatric Association, the Quantitative EEG Board, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.^[11][12]

Braverman is listed by Quackwatch as a promoter of questionable health products.^[6] Critics accuse him of promoting quackery.^[6][7]

Braverman is the founder and medical director of the Place For Achieving Total Health (PATH) Medical, PC, a medical practice where his focus is brain health, and he promotes the use of hormone replacement therapy and dietary supplements.^{[3][13][14][15]} He operates Total Health Nutrients, Inc., and Total Health Nutrients, LLC, which market dietary supplements through PATH and online.^[16] PATH has filed for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.^[3]

Starting in September 2013, PATH Medical was investigated by the Office of the Attorney General of New York General Health Care Bureau for deceptive and misleading business practices due to 20 complaints to the OAG of unnecessary testing and excessive billing, and disputes with credit card companies.^[17] The OAG subpoenaed PATH's records and found that PATH Medical had misrepresented the cost of treatment to patients by claiming insurance would cover as much as 80% of the cost of treatment, even while PATH Medical was aware that insurance was likely to deny claims.^[17] The OAG also found that patients were not provided documentation about what testing had been conducted at the time of treatment, and that many patients complained that they were being charged extra to discuss the results of those tests. Finally, the OAG found that PATH Medical used insecure methods such as personal email accounts to communicate private health information, including patient records. PATH Medical reached a settlement with the OAG in December 2014, called Assurance 14-222, promising to reform its practices to ensure that all consent forms would clearly indicate that patients will likely not receive insurance coverage for their treatment, that patients would receive an itemized receipt with costs and Current Procedural Terminology codes before any treatment is conducted, and that protected health information would no longer be sent via email.^[18]

In July 1996, the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners suspended Braverman's license to practice medicine in New Jersey, finding that if he continued to practice it would constitute a clear and imminent danger to the public.^[19] The Board found that Braverman, who had a practice near Princeton, New Jersey, repeatedly misdiagnosed his patients and prescribed them inappropriate treatments.^[20][21] In May 1997 the Board reprimanded Braverman.^[19]

Braverman and his divorce attorney Diana Moyhi were arrested for trying to steal two confidential custody-case psychiatric reports on him from his divorce case file from a Manhattan Supreme Court courtroom in January 2014. He was charged with attempted grand larceny, tampering with public records, and criminal contempt.^[2][22][23] After trying to steal the reports and being caught by the court clerk, he allegedly tried to bribe her.^[24] The charges carried a maximum jail sentence of seven years.^[22] His wife had claimed their children were not safe with Braverman because he had tried to improperly medicate them.^[22] Braverman was found guilty of attempted petty larceny and sentenced to 15 days in jail, which he served.^[4]

On the basis of this case, the New York State Board of Professional Medical Conduct charged Braverman with professional misconduct.^[25]

The New York State Board of Professional Medical Conduct issued a warning on October 6, 2017, that Braverman’s medical license was in danger of being revoked due to his having been charged with committing professional misconduct based on his December 2015 conviction of stealing confidential documents related to his divorce case.^[26]

In 2016, Braverman was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree felony sex abuse.^[2][27] It was alleged in the criminal complaint that Braverman had molested a 28-year-old Texas woman in his Tribeca apartment in January 2016, by forcing her face-down onto his bed as she yelled "stop", getting on top of her, grabbing her hair, and grabbing her breast against her will.^{[28][2][29][23][4][1][27]} The woman was issued an order of protection from Braverman.^[29] He was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, pleaded guilty to sexual harassment, and was barred from further contact with the victim.^[30][1][2]

In October 2017, Braverman was again arrested. He was charged in a criminal complaint with sexually assaulting a female patient at his office by forcible touching and sex abuse by inserting his fingers inside her "for no legitimate medical purpose" and against her will.^{[31][23][4][1]} He was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on November 1, 2017.^[31] He was indicted by a grand jury on one count of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree and one count of Forcible Touching.^[3] In September 2018, at the request of the New York District Attorney’s Office the judge in the case ordered that Braverman undergo a psychiatric fitness exam.^[4]

In June 2016, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division upheld an order of the New York Supreme Court that awarded Braverman's third ex-wife Darya primary custody of their children and granted him supervised therapeutic access time with the children.^[32][28][33] The court based its opinion on the determinations of a court-appointed psychiatrist and abuse specialists that Braverman committed medical child abuse (Munchausen syndrome by proxy) by exaggerating the children's symptoms and repeatedly subjecting them to unnecessary and at times invasive medical treatment, and had a fixation with their health.^[32] The court also noted Braverman's impaired mental health, his false accusations of abuse against his ex-wife, and his inferior parenting capabilities.^[32]

In March 2017, Braverman filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.^[16] He listed $10.6 million in assets, and $20 million in liabilities.^[34][28] In his filing, he blamed his bankruptcy on divorce proceedings with his third ex-wife.^[28] His ex-wife's attorney said: "Despite his claims of insolvency he has admitted to the court that he recently enjoyed a respite on St. Bart’s at a multi-million dollar estate."^[28] Braverman's bankruptcy filing has stayed his pending lawsuits.