High number of NY doctors on medical board watch list

Thu, 08 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

According to the latest data from the Federation of State Medical Boards, New York's state medical board seems to be taking a pretty active stance. More than 2 percent of all doctors practicing in the state (about 1,400 of the more than 65,000 practicing physicians) ended up on the medical board's watch list last year, for problems that included substance abuse, lapses in professional conduct or mental health issues. That's twice the national average and seventh highest among all states. Sixty percent of the doctors were on the watch list due to concerns with professional conduct, including medical mistakes or patient complaints. The rest were in New York's physicians impairment program.

However, these numbers don't suggest that New York's doctors are somehow worse than in other states. It's worth noting that New York's board has a lower burden of proof for substantiating complaints and taking action against doctors than some other states. Also, New York hospitals are required to report disciplinary actions against doctors to the state board. Now, some officials and public figures would like to see the board disclose all the names of doctors on the list, something that already happens in North Carolina. Right now, cases involving drug or alcohol abuse are kept confidential.

To learn more about this trend:
- read this New York Times article

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Consumer group ranks SC last for doctor discipline

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0400

As we reported previously, the volume of disciplinary actions taken has fallen in the past few years, dropping 14.4 percent from 2005, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards. Now, consumer group Public Citizen has released a report putting its own spin on the Federation's numbers, focusing on "serious" actions against doctors. It contends that lower rates equal less protection for patients.

According to Public Citizen's analysis, the number of serious disciplinary actions against physicians has fallen 17 percent since 2004, resulting 553 fewer such actions. South Carolina had the lowest rate of serious actions per 1,000 physicians in the state. Other states it identifies as poor performers on this scale include Maryland, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, it notes that 10 states have boosted their rates of serious actions, including Arkansas, Delaware, Vermont and Rhode Island.

To learn more about the rankings:
- read this Public Citizen press release
- check out the report

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Federation Of State Medical Boards

High number of NY doctors on medical board watch list

Consumer group ranks SC last for doctor discipline