Federation of State Medical Boards Releases
Annual
Summary of Board Actions
For immediate release: April 6, 2001
DALLAS—The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) released its Annual Summary of Board Actions, a report that compiles data on licensure and disciplinary activities from 69 state medical boards.
FSMB, responsible for promoting high standards for physician licensure and practice, documented 4,617 actions taken against physicians in 2000, a slight increase from 1999. Of the 4,617 actions taken, 3,951 were prejudicial, or punitive, in nature, and included license revocations, suspensions, probations or other types of restrictions or modifications to a physician's license. The 3,951 prejudicial actions taken were nearly a 3 percent increase over the 3,838 taken in 1999. Substance abuse, unprofessional conduct, prescribing violations and negligence ranked highest amongst the basis for prejudicial actions taken.
“The nation’s state medical boards continue to demonstrate their commitment to assuring the public access to qualified physicians by disciplining incompetent physicians and, when appropriate, removing them from practice,” said Dale L. Austin, interim chief executive officer of the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Non-prejudicial actions, which do not result in modification or termination of a physician’s license or licensed privileges, decreased from 731 in 1999 to 666 in 2000. Non-prejudicial actions are usually administrative in nature, such as a reinstatement of license privileges after disciplinary action, or a license denial due to a lack of qualifications.
The 4,617 actions taken in 2000 are included on a new FSMB Web site that offers consumers instant access to the nation's preeminent source of consolidated state medical board disciplinary data. The Federation Physician Data Center, located at www.docinfo.org, contains approximately 117,000 board actions taken against 35,000 physicians dating back to the early 1960s.
The debut of the Federation Physician Data Center marks the first time this collection of consolidated state medical board disciplinary data has been opened to the public.
“By providing the public with a national database of state medical board disciplinary actions, the Federation Physician Data Center is a significant and valuable new online resource for helping consumers make informed decisions about physicians,” Austin said. “State medical boards, which are charged with protecting the public through rigorous physician licensure and disciplinary processes, have long been considered the best source for disciplinary information.”
The Disciplinary Search Report produced during each search of U.S. licensed physicians lists the type of disciplinary action, if any, taken against a physician. In addition, the report indicates the medical board or agency that initiated the action, the kind of action taken (e.g., license revocation, suspension or probation), the date the action was taken and the reason the action was taken (e.g., quality of care, substance abuse, sexual abuse or unprofessional conduct).
“A clean report from the Federation Physician Data Center is a valuable asset for a physician, and thus for consumers as well,” Austin said. “The integrity of the data and the thoroughness of the search made by the Data Center are of the highest quality.”
Click here to View the 2000 Summary of Board Actions.
Click here to visit http://www.docinfo.org/
For immediate release: April 14, 2001
DALLAS—At the Federation of State Medical Board’s Annual Meeting April 19-21 in Atlanta, the national organization will honor six distinguished individuals for their outstanding leadership and involvement in medical regulation and discipline.
Two Receive Distinguished Service
Award
James E. West, M.D., and
Ray Q. Bumgarner, J.D., were selected as recipients of the 2001 Distinguished
Service Award. Established in 1985, this award recognizes outstanding service
and leadership to the Federation and to the field of medical licensure and
discipline.
James E. West, M.D., past president of the Federation, will be recognized for more than 12 years of leadership and service to the organization. A former chair of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, Dr. West now is FSMB’s representative to the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Ray Bumgarner, J.D., a former member of the Federation’s Board of Directors, chaired the committee instrumental in developing the guidelines to help medical boards prepare for the impact and implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Bumgarner served 25 years on the State Medical Board of Ohio, first as chief counsel and then as its executive director from 1985-2000.
Three Physicians to Receive John H. Clark, M.D.,
Leadership Award
Edward David,
M.D., J.D., Thomas A. Joas, M.D., and Paul M. Steingard, D.O., will receive the
2001 Dr. John Clark Leadership Award at the Annual Meeting. Established in 1986
in memory of the Federation’s 61st president, this annual award
recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, a
commitment to advancing the public good, and dedication to the field of medical
licensure and discipline at the state and national level.
Edward David, M.D., J.D., chair of the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine and past president of the Maine Medical Association, is the deputy chief medical examiner for the state. As well as serving on numerous Federation committees, Dr. David, a clinical neurophysiologist and legal medicine specialist, is a noted lecturer and author and well respected in the field of forensic sciences.
Thomas A. Joas, M.D., past president of the Medical Board of California, currently serves as president of the Division of Licensing for the Medical Board of California. Dr. Joas, an anesthesiologist, served as a member of the Federation’s Committee to Review The Elements of a Modern State Medical Board, which outlines a foundation for medical board structure.
Paul Steingard, D.O., past president of the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, currently serves the Federation as chair of the Special Committee on Questionable and Deceptive Health Care Practices. Dr. Steingard, a sports medicine specialist and family practitioner, was team physician for the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns.
Special Recognition Award Given This Year
Bryant D. Paris Jr., former executive director of
the North Carolina Medical Board and member for 25 years, will receive the
Federation’s Special Recognition Award. The Executive Committee of FSMB’s board
of directors bestows this award to an individual for exceptional contributions
to the field of medical licensure and discipline, the Federation and a state
medical board. Paris, a former member of the Federation’s board of directors,
also served on numerous Federation committees for two decades.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author James B. Stewart to Speak
at
Federation of State Medical Boards’ Annual Meeting
For immediate release: Nov. 14, 2000
EULESS, TEXAS—Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter James B. Stewart will speak at the Federation of State Medical Boards’ 89th Annual Meeting, “Today’s Vision, Tomorrow’s Reality,” at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Ga., April 19-21, 2001.
The Federation of State Medical Boards, the umbrella organization of 69 U.S. medical and osteopathic boards, seeks to continually improve the quality, safety and integrity of health care through the development and promotion of high standards for physician licensure and practice.
In addition to other best-selling books, Stewart is the author of Blind Eye: How the Medical Establishment Let a Doctor Get Away with Murder, the 1999 account of the murderous medical career of former physician Michael Swango, whom Stewart links to 35 poisoning deaths in the United States and Africa.
During the three-day Annual Meeting, medical
regulators from around the world will grapple with a variety of issues,
including:
• Physician licensure and the 21st century medical board
•
Expanding roles and relationships in dealing with physician
impairment
• The responsibility of the medical board in reducing
medical errors
• Professionalism and ethics for a new generation of
physicians
• Evaluating the first year of the Institute for Physician
Evaluation
• The 5th vital sign - unique approaches in pain
management
The event will include stimulating presentations from leaders in medicine and medical regulation, town hall question-and-answer sessions, group breakout sessions, and social events. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas designates this educational activity for a maximum of 14 hours in Category I credit towards the AMA Physician's Recognition Award.
Symposium on Medical Licensure in the 21st
Century
to be held in Washington, D.C., Sept. 6 and
7
For immediate release: Aug. 1, 2000
WASHINGTON— A symposium that will bring together medical regulators from across the country will be held Sept. 6-7 in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future of physician licensure and the effects of new developments in medicine.
“Medical Licensure in the 21st Century,” which is being held by the Federation of State Medical Boards, will bring together leaders from state medical boards, government agencies and the legal and medical communities. Through a diverse series of presentations, analysis and discussions, medical regulators will seek to identify how changes in medical practice will impact licensing in the new century.
FSMB, which consists of 69 licensing and disciplinary boards, believes the symposium supports its mission to promote high standards for physician licensure and practice through assisting state medical boards in the regulation of medical practices and the protection of the public.
“This is an important step toward ensuring effective public protection in the future,” said James R. Winn, Federation executive vice president. “We must be certain that medical licensure reflects the way medicine is currently practiced and how it will be practiced in the first part of the new century.”
The day-and-a-half event will consist of several different discussion topics that medical boards and other medical regulatory entities may face in the future, including: the role of medical school accreditation in assuring continued competency, maintenance of competence through specialty certification, graduate medical education—new models for assessing general competencies, continuing medical education—new directions in continuing medical education, performance-based clinical assessment skills, medical errors—systems errors vs. personal accountability, licensing examinations as a predictor of performance, licensing boards and organized medicine—partners in accountability and telemedicine—the push for national standards.
Presenters include representatives from the American Medical Association, National Board of Medical Examiners, National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Federation of Medical Licensing Authorities of Canada, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, Association of American Colleges, American Board of Medical Specialties, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Hot Topics
for Physicians Take Center
Stage at National
Conference
For immediate release: July 21,
2000
EULESS, Texas—Medical regulators will be addressing pressing issues, such as how to appropriately manage a patient’s pain during end-of-life care and how to evaluate physicians’ competency, at the Federation of State Medical Boards' 2001 Annual Meeting next spring.
FSMB is a national organization comprised of the 68
medical boards of the United States and its territories. Its mission is to be a
leader in improving the quality, safety and integrity of U.S. health
care.
On July 14, the FSMB Program Committee announced the topics for
FSMB’s Annual Meeting scheduled to take place April 19-21 in Atlanta at the
Hyatt Regency Peachtree.
Participants attending this premier educational
event can look forward to discussing timely issues such as physician impairment,
professionalism, pain management, licensure, the response of state medical
boards to the Institute of Medicine’s report on medical errors, and the
physician post-licensure assessment system. The audience will have a chance to
meet in small groups to analyze such issues as the feasibility of a national
license standard for all physicians, or whether physicians should be required to
obtain recertification or specialization licenses to continue practicing years
after their initial licensure.
The event will also include an annual
legislative update on initiatives and laws relevant to FSMB and its member
medical boards, as well as featured addresses from leaders in medicine.
Next
year's format will follow previous meeting formats, but will also allow more
time for audience participation during small group sessions and town hall
meetings.
Look for future information in the coming months on
the Federation’s web site at
www.fsmb.org.
For
registration information, contact the Education department at edu@fmsb.org or
(817) 868-4007.
Please note: The media is invited to attend, however
registration is required so complimentary seating can be reserved. Contact the
Education department to reserve a media seat.
Annual Meeting Award Winners
For immediate release: April 10, 2000
DALLAS—The Federation
will honor three distinguished physicians April 15, at Annual Meeting 2000:
The Future is Now.
Harold E. Jervey Jr., M.D., will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for devoting nearly three decades of his life to the medical licensure and disciplinary fields.
Dr. Jervey is credited with playing an instrumental role in making FSMB the strong organization that it is today. He began his career in medical regulation in 1952 with the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. He became a member of the FSMB Board of Directors in 1956, and went on to serve as vice-president, president, treasurer and secretary-treasurer. From 1978 to 1984 he served as FSMB executive director. Under his leadership, FSMB expanded its responsibilities and work force. Dr. Jervey took the first step in making FSMB a national clearinghouse for all medical boards' activities with the installation of FSMB’s first computer in 1979. He was a catalyst in getting FSMB member boards to report all their disciplinary actions to the Board Action Data Bank.
In addition to his work at FSMB, he served as president of the board of trustees of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates for three terms.
New Hampshire orthopedic surgeon Robert E. Porter, M.D., will be honored with the Federation of State Medical Boards’ Distinguished Service Award.
Since 1985, FSMB has issued this award annually to recognize outstanding leadership and service to the fields of medical licensure and discipline, as well as to the Federation.
Dr. Porter served as FSMB President for the 1995-96 term. He also served on the FSMB Board of Directors from 1991 through 1994. He continued his role with FSMB through various committees and appointments.
As president of the New Hampshire Board of Medicine, he was instrumental in improving the board’s performance.
During the past three decades, Dr. Porter has held various roles with the New Hampshire Medical Society, New Hampshire Orthopaedic Society, Northeast Medical Association, New Hampshire Board of Registration and Medicine, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Dr.
Porter also is involved in a range of activities at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center and Dartmouth Medical School, where he is an associate professor in the
Department of Surgery.
National
Board of Medical Examiners President L. Thompson Bowles, M.D., Ph.D.,
will be awarded the Dr. John H. Clark Leadership Award.
This
recognition, established in 1986 in memory of FSMB’s 61st President,
is awarded annually to any Federation fellow who demonstrates outstanding
leadership, is committed to advancing the public good and is dedicated to
medical licensure and discipline at both the state and national
levels.
Dr. Bowles played an instrumental role in developing the
partnership between NBME and FSMB that led to the implementation of the United
States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Subsequently, he helped take the USMLE
to the next level with computer-based testing and computer case simulations. Dr.
Bowles also played a vital role in the current FSMB/NBME project involving the
assessment of physician competency after initial licensure, the Post-Licensure
Assessment System (PLAS).
He has been part of NBME leadership since his
election to the board nearly 20 years ago. Prior to his appointment as president
in 1992, he served on the executive board, as chairman of the board and as past
chairman.
From 1977-1979 he served as president of the District of
Columbia Healing Arts Commission, now known as the District of Columbia Board of
Medicine.
Dr. Bowles is
certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic
Surgery.
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Opening of Physician Assessment
Center Near
Denver Announced
For immediate release: March 25, 2000
EULESS, TEXAS—In a step to enhance protection of the public, the Federation
of State Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners announce the
creation of the Institute for Physician Evaluation-Colorado. The center, which
will provide clinically focused assessments of physicians, opens April 1 in the
Denver area.
IPE-Colorado will provide assessment
services on behalf of the Post-Licensure Assessment System (PLAS), an ongoing
collaborative effort by FSMB and NBME designed to provide comprehensive,
multidimensional assessment services for use in profiling physician clinical
performance. The center will be a valuable resource for physicians, hospitals
and licensing boards.
“The services that will be available
through the Institute for Physician Evaluation will significantly enhance the
ability of state medical boards to protect the public by providing objective
information about physicians whose deteriorating practice skills pose public
safety concerns,” said James R. Winn, M.D., executive vice president of the
Federation of State Medical Boards. “By referring such physicians for
assessment, state medical boards have better information for deciding
remediation programs that focus on the physician’s deficits, attempting to
salvage a community resource without compromising public safety.”
IPE-Colorado will offer a unique
battery of standardized and personalized assessments to evaluate physicians in
four distinct areas: 1) medical knowledge, 2) communication skills, 3)
problem-solving, and 4) documentation skills. The results will be used to prepare a
comprehensive, descriptive report that provides information concerning strengths
and deficits in the physician’s practice areas, and offer recommendations for
remediation.
FSMB and NBME have worked with
Colorado Personalized Education for Physicians (CPEP) to establish IPE-Colorado
as a regional assessment center. CPEP, an established assessment program founded
10 years ago by a consortium of Colorado medical organizations, has worked with
physicians in Colorado and various other states. NBME acquired CPEP’s physician
assessment process and existing contracts. CPEP will continue to offer
educational intervention for physicians and also will partially offset
participation costs for Colorado physicians utilizing IPE-Colorado.
FSMB and NBME, a Philadelphia-based not-for-profit organization that prepares and administers examinations in the health professions, have a long history in medical evaluation and licensure. The two organizations partnered to develop and administer the United States Medical Licensing Examination, the three-step exam for initial licensure for U.S. physicians.
Groups Collaborate To
Address
Problems of Internet Medicine
For immediate release: Jan. 28, 2000
EULESS, TEXAS—Top officials from various government, medical and public
entities met in Washington D.C. on Jan. 28 to discuss a multi-disciplinary
approach to enforcing regulations that protect patients from unsafe and illegal
Internet delivery of healthcare. The daylong talks, hosted by the Federation of
State Medical Boards of the United States, Inc., focused on defining how online
dispensing and prescribing can be appropriately regulated to ensure public
safety.
FSMB, a national organization of
state medical licensing and disciplinary boards, invited representatives from
more than a dozen entities to come together to integrate and coordinate their
efforts through information sharing. Participants included representatives from
state medical boards, the National Practitioner Data Bank, the U.S. Department
of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, the General Accounting Office, the
American Medical Association, the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office, the National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the
American Pharmaceutical Association and various pharmaceutical companies.
“The Federation believes that the
joint efforts of the professional, regulatory, law enforcement and private
sector communities are needed to safeguard consumers from potentially harmful or
inappropriate prescriptions issued online without an adequate patient
evaluation,” said James R. Winn, M.D., FSMB Executive Vice President. “It is our
mutual responsibility to ensure appropriate regulation to protect the public,
while allowing the public to benefit from the convenience and accessibility of
the Internet.”
In 1996, FSMB developed and adopted
as policy model legislation* to assist state medical boards in regulating the
practice of medicine across state lines. The Federation currently has a special
committee on Professional Conduct and Ethics, which is charged with, among other
tasks, determining appropriate physician prescribing practices via the
Internet.
On a national scope, FSMB is working
with the FDA, the American Medical Association and the National Association of
Boards of Pharmacy to encourage the enforcement of existing laws relating to
Internet prescribing and dispensing.
* A Model Act to Regulate the Practice of
Medicine Across State Lines is available in the Policy Document section