Physician Assistant Board of California

Physician Assistant License Defense

Each year, the Physician Assistant Board of the Medical Board of California opens over 400 investigations against license holders, most from consumer complaints. If the investigatory process substantiates a claim, the board may initiate administrative prosecution or refer the license holder to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.

If you’re a physician assistant facing an investigation or disciplinary proceeding, our attorneys have the experience and resources to provide expert representation.

Complaints and investigations

The most common complaints the board receives are for the following allegations:

Criminal convictions (primarily driving under the influence)
Substandard care (gross negligence or incompetence)
Unprofessional conduct
Prescribing issues
Sexual misconduct
Drug or alcohol abuse
Mental or physical conditions that affect the physician assistant’s ability to practice safely

During the board’s examination of claims, investigators may inspect the location where alleged misconduct occurred, execute search warrants, and even conduct undercover operations. Answering questions, providing documents or evidence, or agreeing to other actions without attorney representation can be risky. As a medical professional, you have important statutory and constitutional rights, and you are also legally obligated to protect patient and employee confidentiality. Immediately seeking advice from an attorney experienced in defending healthcare professionals helps protect your reputation and career.

How we can help

We can assist you in effectively responding to the board, resulting in the investigation being closed without a formal accusation or, if you’re an applicant, a statement of issues filed against you. We can ensure the board has all the relevant information to minimize the discipline that may eventually be imposed. In many cases, we can negotiate a resolution with the board’s counsel, avoiding the risk, time, and expense associated with a contested hearing. When needed, our attorneys are ready with the expertise and knowledge to aggressively defend you at a contested hearing.

If you are facing criminal prosecution on any charges, you need to know and understand the consequences that a guilty or no contest plea and a conviction can have on your license. A conviction that results from circumstances outside your professional work that appears to have no correlation with your practice may still have a significant impact on your license.

Whether you have been wrongfully accused of misconduct or have made an uncharacteristic mistake, we offer the skills, knowledge, and experience to aggressively defend you before the board.