If you’re a physician and you receive a letter from the Office of Professional Medical Conduct, be aware. The government is after you thinking you have done something wrong. That letter will tell you, briefly, what they are looking into. It might be suspected fraud, it might be suspected drug use, it might be sexual issues, or it could be incompetence or malpractice as they see it. Whatever you do, I think you really should go get a lawyer, especially one who has dealt with these kinds of things. If you think you can just go down and tell OPMC what went on and everything will go well, you might be right, but you very well might be wrong.
This is a very important thing in your life and it can have absolutely devastating results. OPMC can take your license from you completely, they can fine you, they can suspend you, and they can censure and reprimand you. They also have interviewed people that you don’t know about – former employees, patients, former colleagues – and none of that do they have to share with you, but they know what those people had to say and you don’t know what those people had to say. It’s important that you understand what is going on. This is an investigation that they’re on and they’re looking to see if you have been guilty of unprofessional conduct. If you have, then your whole career might be in jeopardy. Even if they don’t suspend your license, they can punish you in such a way that it’s very public and it is disastrous to your career as a whole. Be smart, pay attention, understand that this is a potential problem, and deal with it appropriately.
Walker Medical Law serves Brooklyn and the greater New York area with quality legal services representing physicians and other medical providers facing legal and license issues. If you need our legal services, contact our New York office for a consultation.
