Tidiness and sanitary matters can be an issue in any workplace. In most workplaces, though, the most being accused of being untidy or engaging in unsanitary behavior will lead to is a person facing the ire of their coworkers or bosses. For medical professionals, however, such accusations are a much bigger deal. Given the harm unsanitary practices in the medical setting can cause to patients, medical boards take such allegations incredibly seriously. Allegations of unsanitary practices can lead to a doctor facing significant disciplinary actions. Their physician’s license could even be at risk. This can be seen in a matter that has come up in a neighboring state.
The matter centers on a doctor who was the operator of and sole licensed physician at a pain management clinic in McMechen, West Virginia. Authorities allege that multiple unsanitary practices occurred at the clinic, including the reusing of syringes and the doctor failing to wear a surgical mask when giving epidural injections.
According to authorities, patients of the clinic may have faced potential exposure to things like HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C as a result of the clinic’s alleged sanitary issues.
An emergency meeting was held by West Virginia’s osteopathic medicine board, and the board opted to suspend the physician’s medical license in relation to the alleged sanitary issues at the clinic.
While this matter is from another state, the serious situation the above-mentioned physician is in is one that physicians here in Pennsylvania can find sometimes themselves in. When a doctor is facing allegations that could put their license at risk, their professional career could be hanging in the balance. Thus, when a doctor has had allegations of unsanitary conduct or other misconduct leveled against them, one thing they should consider is bringing in a license defense attorney to protect their rights.
Source: The Charleston Gazette, “Board suspends license of clinic where syringes were reused,” July 25, 2014