Physicians
Physicians, and the board’s questions
A physician’s file has more readers than a nurse’s: the board, the hospital, the insurers, the national databases. Each reads your first answer.
Ursula Haverkamp leads our work for physicians. Most of it is quieter than people expect: a letter asking for records, a questionnaire at renewal, a hospital’s report of a change in privileges. The skill is in knowing which of these deserves a lawyer’s hand and which only needs a careful reply.
Three questions we ask in the first call
- Who else has been told, and in what words?
- Which of your records has the board already asked for?
- Is there a deadline, a hearing date or an offer on the table?
We answer a board in writing, in your voice, with the records attached and the argument in order. Physicians who have been through a review tell us the most useful thing was having someone else read every page before it was sent.
Where it begins
Files that start like this
The usual ways a clinician meets the board.
- 01
A hospital’s report of a change in privileges
Privileges actions travel. We look at what was reported, to whom, and whether the report matches the underlying record.
- 02
A prescribing or controlled-substance review
Reviews start from data. We start from your charts, and from the reasons behind the pattern the data shows.
- 03
A complaint from a patient, a family or a colleague
The board has to look at each one. A complaint that goes nowhere still needs an answer.
- 04
A question about health or past treatment at renewal
Applications ask. How a true answer is worded can change how it is read.
- 05
Telehealth across state lines
Care delivered to a patient in another state may be the other state’s business. Check before you see the next patient there.
Questions physicians ask first
Physicians ask
Do I have to report the board’s letter to my hospital or insurer?
You may have contractual duties to do so, and the timing matters. We read your agreements with you before you decide when and how.
Can the board see my patient records?
Boards can usually obtain records in an investigation, with rules about how patient information is handled. We check what is being requested and why.
Is a consent order the same as a finding?
No. It is an agreement, and its wording matters: what you admit, what is reported, and what it means for hospitals and insurers. We review the draft before you sign.
How long does a board matter take?
Longer than anyone would like, and the timing varies by board. We tell you what stage you are in and what each stage usually asks of you.