ABA Family Legal Guide

Health-Care Law

Regulating Health-Care Professionals

Licensing of Doctors, Nurses, and Hospitals

What happens after the investigation?

If the board finds that the complaint is unwarranted, it will dismiss the complaint. If it finds the complaint is justified, it may request that the complaint be investigated further. In some cases, the complaint will be dismissed, but the board will notify the doctor that certain methods or actions must be changed in the future. It may order your doctor to undertake more training or stop performing particular treatments. It may require that the doctor enter into treatment for substance or alcohol abuse. If the board finds that the doctor should be disciplined, there will be an administrative hearing, at which time the doctor may be disciplined in some way, including having his or her license revoked or suspended.