Dinsmore's Beth Collis Explains Best Practices for Medical Board Hearings
Dinsmore health care partner Beth Collis recently spoke with Medscape for its article "10 Things Not to Do in a Medical Board Hearing." She spoke on best practices for meetings with investigators and more. An excerpt is below.
Doctors who are involved in a practice breakup or a divorce can be victims of false and malicious complaints, but Beth Y. Collis, a partner at the law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl in Columbus, Ohio, says boards are onto this tactic and usually reject these complaints.
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A small minority of complaints may result in the board taking action against the doctor. Typically, this involves getting the doctor to sign a consent agreement stating that he or she agrees with the board's decision and its remedy, such as continuing education, a fine, or being placed under another doctor's supervision.
"When the board sends you a consent agreement, it's usually about something fairly minor," Collis says. "You can make a counteroffer and see if they accept that. But once you enter into the agreement, you waive any right to appeal the board's decision."
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A board investigator may show up at your office uninvited and ask you to answer some questions, but you aren't required to answer then and there, says Collis.
In fact, Collis notes, it's never a good idea to let investigators into your office. "They can walk around, look through your records, and find more things to investigate," she says. For this reason, Collis makes it a point to schedule meetings with investigators at her office.
Read the full article here.