State laws aim to buttress role of medical boards

Among the new measures are ones authorizing some state boards to keep a closer watch on expert witnesses.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. Aug. 28, 2006.

Physicians in North Carolina previously faced extremes when the medical board considered disciplining them: Either nothing would happen, or their licenses would be revoked or suspended.

"There wasn't much in between," said David Henderson, executive director of the North Carolina Medical Board. State legislators changed that in July by passing a measure that gives the board more disciplinary options, including probation, public reprimands and treatment programs. The changes to the state's medical practice act strengthened the board's authority to regulate physicians in North Carolina.

The measure was one of several that state legislators around the country passed to bolster how medical boards operate, improve regulation of physicians and increase patient safety. Some changes were the result of legislation, but others were measures the boards instituted themselves.

The theme was "strengthening the role of medical boards," said James Thompson, MD, president and CEO of the Federation of State Medical Boards. "The legislation is a response to the need of state medical boards to have additional resources and authority to take action when necessary in the disciplinary process."

In addition to more disciplinary options, North Carolina's law lets the state medical board deny a license to an applicant who has been out of practice for more than two years or impose conditions to re-enter medical practice. The law also allows a committee of three or more board members to conduct a detailed disciplinary hearing, with recommendations reported to the full board. Previously, the full board conducted license denial and disciplinary hearings, limiting the number of cases the board could handle, officials said. The changes are set to take effect Oct. 1.