Critical Steps to Follow Upon Receipt of an Accusation
I Received an Accusation, Now What? If you are a licensed medical professional, you may, at some point during your career, receive a “Notice of Accusation.” A “Notice of Accusation” should not be ignored or taken lightly. An Accusation is the vehicle by which your licensing agency (the California Medical Board) initiates a disciplinary proceeding against you, the licensee. Upon receiving an Accusation, it is incumbent on the licensee that the Accusation is read carefully. The Accusation lays out the charges sought by the agency and must specify the statutes and rules the licensee is alleged to have violated. (Gov. Code. § 11503.) If you have received an Accusation the following has already occurred: A Complaint was filed with the Medical Board; The Medical Board investigated said Complaint; and, The Medical Board found a violation of the Medical Practices Act. Note: Up to this point, the complaint and Investigation are not public information. However, this information becomes public once an Accusation has been filed. If a violation of the Medical Practices Act is found, the Medical Board may pursue disciplinary actions against the licensee following the Administrative Hearing. Such actions include: Revoking of the medical license; Suspension of the license for up to 1 year; Placing the license on probation, restricting the license,…