Kansas and Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger Discusses How Doctors Derail their Careers
The vast majority of physicians I know enjoy long and successful careers and stand out as pillars of their communities. But what about those that don’t? Some physicians derail their careers with poor judgment, addiction, and deceit. I have written the following blog post to help members of the medical community how to avoid these sorts of threats to professional licensure.
If you are a licensed professional in Kansas or Missouri facing an allegation of misconduct, call attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a free consultation. Your career, reputation, and livelihood are at risk, and the challenge facing you is one you cannot work your way through alone.
Career-Ending Actions for Physicians
If you are alleged to have committed misconduct, it can mean a suspension or revocation of your license to practice medicine. You must attain experienced counsel immediately to help you through this process. I have advised licensing boards, know how they work, and can often attain a dismissal or a significant reduction in whatever penalty you may receive. These are the most common behaviors that lead to discipline:
Self-Medication
Physicians have almost unfettered access to medications. Unfortunately, this is the most common reason for their license suspension or revocation. In recent years, the national opioid crisis has focused increased attention on physicians’ use of powerful pain medications. If you find that you are self-prescribing these sorts of drugs and have become dependent, get help immediately.
Allowing Unlicensed Practice
Physicians are all aware of how tight margins can be in certain areas of patient care and how low repayment is from programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Unfortunately, some physicians’ answer to this problem is to allow unlicensed professionals perform procedures that only a physician should perform. This is both fraudulent and unsafe, and physicians routinely get caught when a patient is injured, or an unlicensed employee becomes disgruntled and reports his or her former employer.
Boundary Issues
Physicians all know that they should not have sexual relationships with patients, even consensual ones. Further, everyone should know that touching someone sexually without his or her consent is sexual assault and is illegal. That said, physicians routinely find themselves in disciplinary situations because they enter into “harmless” sexual flings with clients or touch clients in ways that make them feel violated without first attaining a valid release. Either of these issues can easily lead to a license suspension or revocation.
Failing to Disclose Past Transgressions During the Licensure Process
Doctors must be completely forthcoming when applying for licensure. In my experience, it is far better to disclose past criminal convictions, addiction issues, or other transgressions than to have this sort of conduct come to light later. As with any other field, responsibly disclosing past transgressions is difficult, but lying to cover up the transgression is usually seen as much more severe.
Contact an Experienced Kansas and Missouri Licensing Attorney Now for the Advice You Need
You have worked too hard to attain your medical license to lose it because you failed to attain professional legal advice when you needed it. You need to speak to a licensing attorney as soon as you become aware that there are allegations concerning your conduct. Contacting an experienced licensing attorney now can mean the difference between getting back to helping your patients and losing your career forever.
Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger is prepared to advocate for your best interests and defend your license. Call Attorney Sanger at 785-979-4353 to schedule a free consultation with an attorney experienced dealing with professional licensing issues.