Philadelphia Healthcare Licensing Blog

Steps to take after a DUI to protect your professional license

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in Medical Licensing on Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

You may have spent years or decades building up your career to where you are now. Whether you work as a Pennsylvania physician, nurse, pharmacist or more, you dutifully protect your license and your years of hard work to achieve it.

However, a DUI arrest can happen suddenly after an evening out in Philadelphia. After the arrest, you may fear not only criminal penalties and possible effects to your driver's license, but also the potential consequences to your career and professional license. Should you report the offense to your governing board?

Why does the nurse, doctor or other healthcare professional need to consult an experienced healthcare licensing attorney after a DUI arrest

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in blog on Monday, June 17, 2019.

Yesterday, for the third time in the past month, I received a call from a doctor who was arrested for a DUI. He was informed by his criminal attorney that since this was a first offense, he was likely to get Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) and he should comply with any instructions or recommendations from the Medical Board. This is probably the worst advice the attorney could have given the doctor. First of all, the Medical Board and other Healthcare Boards have a contract with a company that notifies the Board when a licensee is charged with a crime. The duty of the Board is to protect the public, not the licensee. When the Board becomes aware of an arrest for DUI, the licensee will receive a letter requesting that he or she contact the Professional Health Monitoring Program (PHMP) to schedule an evaluation to see if the licensee qualifies for the Impaired Professionals Program. This evaluation usually results in the licensee being forced into the Voluntary Recovery Program (VRP) with stringent monitoring requirements including drug and alcohol testing, notification of the licensee's employer and, often times, job restrictions. A healthcare licensee has so much at stake, it is incumbent upon him or her to contact the skilled healthcare licensing attorney immediately upon arrest so they are aware of the serious consequences of the arrest. Even an ARD can have serious consequences for the healthcare professional. I have been representing healthcare professionals in licensing matters and criminal matters for over 30 years and am available to work with you to protect your license.

Pennsylvania woman's death prompted licensing board to act

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in Medical Licensing on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.

There is one less practicing physician in Johnstown at this time. A Pennsylvania licensing board has suspended a doctor's license. The situation involves a woman who had been treated at the physician's office and later died. The case is still under investigation.

Doctors in this state and others often prescribe medication, including controlled substances, to treat patients who are suffering from severe pain. Some medications, such as hydrocodone acetaminophen, are listed as analgesic drugs that can be addictive. The labels on such prescriptions often include warnings to avoid alcohol while taking the medication and other caveats.

Have you been called before a Pennsylvania licensing board?

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in Medical Licensing on Friday, June 7, 2019.

The State Board of Nursing and State Board of Medicine are two licensing entities in Pennsylvania. If a licensed nurse or physician has his or her actions called into question, it may be necessary for him or her to appear at a hearing. In such cases, the person who stands accused is guaranteed an opportunity to present a defense.

These are not the only two governing bodies regarding professionally licensed workers throughout the state. If you're a professionally licensed medical worker, you may be at risk for having that license suspended or revoked at any time. It is critical to understand state licensing laws and to know where to seek immediate legal support if you have been accused of wrongful actions in the workplace.

Medical licensing problems surface after patient files complaint

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in Medical Licensing on Friday, May 31, 2019.

Many Pennsylvania physicians treat female patients. Depending on the situation, there may be times when no one is in an examining room except a patient and physician. In the case of a doctor in another state, this type of situation led to medical licensing problems when a female patient filed a claim with the state's attorney general, saying that the doctor acted inappropriately.

The woman said the physician had made sexual advances toward her during her appointment. The doctor in question used to work for the U.S. Air Force. He apparently faced several problems regarding his physician/patient relationships back then. His employment in the state where the woman's examination took place was conditional at first.

Physician in another state files lawsuit against licensing board

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in Medical Licensing on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.

A Pennsylvania doctor might undergo license suspension at some point in his or her career. When a licensing board issues such an order, the physician in question is guaranteed an opportunity to request a hearing and present a defense. A doctor in another state is suing the board who suspended his license. He claim that officials violated his rights by doing so.

The doctor treats patients at three anti-aging clinics. An attorney speaking on his behalf stated that the board issued an emergency suspension of his client's medical license without due process of law. The doctor's attorney also informed the court that the board acted without consideration of continued patient care.

Your social media presence can affect your career

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.

Whether you enjoy your time on social media or you maintain a presence because you feel you must in today's world, it is important to understand how that presence can affect your job. As you may know, when you hold a professional license in Pennsylvania, especially in the medical field, your actions in your private life can have a tremendous impact on your career. Social media is no exception.

It may seem innocent and natural to post on social media your thoughts and actions, but there is a fine line to walk when you hold a license as a medical professional. This can involve violations of patient privacy as well as expressing your personal opinions.

Physician license defense: Conflicting testimonies

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in Medical Licensing on Friday, April 12, 2019.

Any Pennsylvania physician accused of unprofessional conduct on the job is guaranteed an opportunity to deny the allegations. Successful physician license defense often helps resolve such issues. Some situations are more complex than others, as made evident by a case in another state where conflicting testimonies have been given to the court.

On one side is a woman who claims that a doctor sexually assaulted her during a medical procedure. Investigators say the woman agreed to wear a wire to help gather evidence in her case. On the other side, however, is a medical assistant who was nearby when the supposed abuse took place. The assistant says the patient never complained about any misconduct; in fact, she scheduled a routine follow-up appointment.

Suspected drug use prompts medical licensing problems for nurses

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn posted in Medical Licensing on Monday, March 25, 2019.

When Pennsylvania nurses are accused of unprofessional behavior, it can place their careers at risk. Eight nurses in another state are currently facing medical licensing problems related to suspected substance abuse problems on the job. In situations like this, it is always a good idea to speak with an experienced medical licensing attorney to determine what type of defense strategy may be available to help mitigate circumstances.

The nurses in question have been restricted from legally performing their duties. One of the nurses is accused of exhibiting odd behavior at work, including slurred speech, an unstable gait and yelling at a co-worker. There are many medical conditions that could produce similar symptoms, such as mild stroke or other neurological emergencies.

Factors that may affect your counseling certification or renewal

On behalf of Brian Quinn of The Law Offices of Brian E. Quinn on Thursday, March 21, 2019.

Obtaining your license to be a certified counselor is no easy task. If you realized in high school or college that this was your career goal, you planned your course of study, taking challenging classes and looking for opportunities to increase your skills and experience. You then completed your graduate work, including field experience with a trained counselor. You sought professional endorsements and prepared for your exam.

The only thing left is to qualify for the ethical requirements the National Board for Certified Counselors sets forth. Because of the delicate nature of the work counselors do and the high level of trust your clients will place in you, the NBCC has rigid rules related to the behavior of counselors. If you are seeking certification or renewal of your certification, you should understand the challenges you may face, especially if your past is not perfect.