Kansas and Missouri Professional Licensing Attorney Danielle Sanger Explains Why Physicians Should Think Twice About “Voluntary Suspensions” of Medical Licenses

I have seen physician’s lives and careers devastated because they agreed to a “voluntary suspension” of their medical license or a restriction on their license while the medical board investigates allegations of misconduct. While the physician under investigation believed that the voluntary suspension would be brief and that it would put them in a good light with investigators, both assumptions were incorrect. In fact, the suspension lasted far longer than initially hoped, and agreeing to the voluntary suspension ended up having a host of negative consequences.

If you are a physician in Kansas or Missouri facing an investigation that jeopardizes your professional license, call attorney Sanger today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a free consultation. Do not agree to any suspension of any kind or speak to an investigator without an attorney to defend you. Your career, reputation, and livelihood are at risk, and the challenge facing you is one you cannot navigate alone.

Expect Suspensions to Last Longer Than Promised

Physicians under investigation are sometimes asked to sign an Interim Stipulated Order (ISO) or Interim Consent Order (ICO) accepting a voluntary restriction on their license or, even worse, suspending their practice pending the outcome of the investigation. These requests are usually accompanied by a suggestion that the suspension will be brief. However, these investigations often take a year or longer, especially in the case of physicians. Additionally, there are other ramifications of a “temporary suspension,” such as:

Reports to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB)

If you consent to an interim restriction on your license, that restriction will be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). You will have to deal with any consequences of the report to the NPDB on your career, even though no allegation has been proven.

Withdrawal of Board Certification, Credentialing, and Employment

If your medical license is temporarily suspended, you should anticipate that your board certifications will also likely be withdrawn. The suspension of the license and withdrawal of board certification will frequently result in an employer terminating the employee as well. Accordingly, a voluntary suspension ends up being a death sentence for your career.

DEA Registrations

If you are a prescribing physician, you must also consider the serious impact of a restricted license on your DEA Registration. To hold a DEA Registration, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requires every DEA Registrant physician to possess a medical license granting state authority to prescribe controlled substances. So if you agree to a restriction on your prescribing privileges or consent to voluntarily withdraw from your medical practice while you await the outcome of an investigation, you should anticipate a request to surrender your DEA Registration. 

Contact an Experienced Kansas and Missouri Licensing Attorney Now

You have worked too hard to attain your professional license.  If you are a physician under investigation and your licensing Board requests that you consent to restrictions on your medical license, you need to know that the restriction will probably last more than a few months and there are numerous other consequences to consider depending upon your type of practice and level of licensure.

An inquiry from a licensing board means that your livelihood is in jeopardy. Contacting an experienced licensing attorney to help you through this process and can mean the difference between getting back to helping your patients or clients and losing your career forever.

Kansas and Missouri professional licensing attorney Danielle Sanger is prepared to advocate for your best interests and defend you. Call Attorney Sanger at 785-979-4353 to schedule a free consultation with an attorney experienced dealing with licensing issues.

 

 

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