In a recent Los Angeles Times article, the state of California's medical regulation system is brought into question. A series of budget cuts and loss of staff have left the Medical Board of California without much of an ability to enforce laws for doctor licensing and discipline.
California's medical board is responsible for taking measures to ensure patient safety. The board is supposed to investigate complaints that patients file against doctors, and they are also responsible for disciplining underperforming doctors with probation, license revocations, or forcing doctors to close their doors.
Public Citizen, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer group, ranks the medical boards for each state. In 2009, the organization ranked the Medical Board of California at 41st, falling from 22nd the previous year and earning the title of one of the largest plunges among the 50 states.
Even an internal review of the board found that disciplinary action had dropped by as much as 22 percent. It also showed that the average time it took for the completion of an investigation was over 400 days after the initial filing of the complaint.
With the sharp decline in disciplinary actions and the lengthy amount of time of investigations, California doctors who are potentially dangerous could still be practicing.
The Medical Board of California is severely understaffed, with its current small staff working as best as it can with the few resources that they have. Governor Schwarzenegger took $6 million in funding from the board to help with the state's budget during his administration. Appeals by the board to protest that action along with hiring freezes were frequently turned down.
The duty of demanding necessary resources to ensure doctor discipline and patient safety is left entirely up to the board, as the board's budget continues to dwindle.
With limited regulation comes the risk of medical malpractice. If you believe that you have been the victim of doctor or hospital malpractice, contact the Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates. Call us toll-free at 1-800-541-9376 for a free consultation or click here to visit our website.
