In CA, MD complaint probes taking longer

In California, it's taking longer for the state's Medical Board and the attorney general to suspend or revoke licenses of problem physicians. An average of two and a half year (934 days) passes from the time the medical board receives a complaint until completion of judicial review. About 488 of those days are spent investigating a complaint, while the rest of the time is spent waiting for a resolution to the case. Just a decade ago, it took only 788 days to carry out the same process.

So why the lag? A physician's medical license is consider to be his or her property and it can't be revoked without building a strong case against the defendant. "Judges don't like to easily take a property right, e.g., a medical license, without due process," said Medical Board spokeswoman Candis Cohen. Without proof that a physician is an immediate threat, judges won't issue a suspension of their license. In the meantime, physicians are allowed to continue practicing medicine, even though they could endanger patients.

For more
- see this L.A. Times article