Your medical or nursing license is critical to your career and future employment. Preserving a valid license and avoiding criminal judgment or medical malpractice listed against your healthcare license is a concern for all California healthcare providers.
Suppose the unthinkable happens: You have a malpractice charge or judgment rendered against you. In that case, that action may be filed with your professional licensing authority, the healthcare organization you are affiliated with, your malpractice insurance payor, and the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).
Being listed on the NPDB can have a permanent impact on your career. Virtually all healthcare hiring managers will search the NPDB as part of the hiring process, and any negative reports associated can lead to an automatic rejection of your application.
NPDB records aren’t like typical criminal records; they truly are permanent and cannot be expunged. But if you are listed on the NPDB, there may be hope. A professional license defense lawyer can help.
What Is the National Practitioner Data Bank?
The NPDB is a confidential roster of all medical malpractice payments by insurers and other adverse actions filed against healthcare workers that have been reported to state or federal licensing boards.
The records are fairly confidential; for example, a Google search by a curious patient won’t bring up your NPDB records. However, the data is available to healthcare administrators who need access to this information, like hiring directors.
The U.S. Congress created the NPDB in 1986 to reduce healthcare abuse and fraud and improve the quality of patient care. Its main purpose is to prevent unscrupulous care providers from moving to a different state that may not be aware of previous professional infractions.
What Is Reported to the NPDB?
Healthcare organizations must report all clinical privileges actions incurred by dentists and physicians. They might also report actions taken against other medical practitioners. Some actions required to be reported to the NPDB include the following:
- Medical malpractice insurance payouts
- State or federal licensure or certification actions
- Adverse clinical privileges measures
- Censure by professional society associations
- Negative or fraudulent findings by peer review organizations or a private accreditation entity
- Any judgments rendered in criminal or civil court for healthcare-related charges
This is not a comprehensive list; your professional license defense lawyer can tell you whether your actions will be reported.
The only way to remove an NPDB entry is by proving that it is there in error. This involves following a dispute resolution process. A professional licensed defense lawyer can help you navigate the complicated dispute process.
Avoiding a Negative California State Licensing Action
Avoiding a charge brought against you is the best way to avoid a record on the NPDB. However, accidents can happen. A professional license defense lawyer can defend your interests and professional reputation if you’re under investigation by a California licensing board for a violation or other issue.
S J Harris Law is experienced in handling licensing issues and accusations and will fight to mitigate any reporting to the NPDB. Contact us today if your professional medical license is in jeopardy.
