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Florida Board of Massage Therapy Revokes More Licenses

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) Board of Massage Therapy met in Sunrise, Florida, on January 24 and 25, 2013. During the meeting the Board held disciplinary hearings to determine, among other matters, the fate of a number of Florida massage therapists. Many of these massage therapists were accused of obtaining their licenses to practice through a transcript-buying scandal centered on the Florida College of Natural Health.

The Health Law Firm had one of its attorneys present at this Board of Massage Therapy meeting to get first-hand information on what was going on.

You may remember back in September 2012, the Florida Surgeon General announced that he had signed 161 emergency suspension orders (ESOs) for massage therapists in Florida. Click here to read our blog on that story.

Results from the Board of Massage Therapy Meeting.

During the Board of Massage Therapy meeting, the Board voted to revoke 19 massage therapists’ licenses. It voted to accept the voluntary surrender of an additional 55 massage therapists’ licenses, according to an article in the Sun Sentinel. A majority of these cases involved massage therapists who were charged with obtaining their Florida licenses by submitting fake credentials from the Florida College of Natural Health.

A number of massage therapists have named a single “rogue employee” of the Florida College of Natural Health, one of its officials, as the main culprit behind the phony credentials. She allegedly issued these fake transcripts and certificates in exchange for cash payments.

To read the entire article from the Sun Sentinel, click here.

More Massage Therapists Might Be Under Investigation.

Recently, we’ve received some other reports about massage therapists who allegedly received their massage therapy courses from ASM Beauty World Academy, Inc., in Broward County, Florida. These people we spoke with say they received their credentials from a man who was also involved in the scheme in South Florida. Massage therapists from the ASM Beauty World Academy are allegedly now receiving letters of investigation from the DOH.

Again, we’ve only has a few reports. If you attended the ASM Beauty World Academy, Inc., or any other massage therapy school and received a letter from the DOH about your license being investigated, please call an experienced health law attorney.

To see a list of Florida board approved massage therapy schools, click here. Please note this list is from 2012. The 2013 list has not been released. We will update this list as soon as the new list of Florida board approved schools is released on the DOH website.

Buy Professional Liability Insurance Now.

As a massage therapists, your license may come under investigation. We always recommend buying professional liability insurance sooner rather than later. Not only can professional liability insurance protect you in the event of a lawsuit, but it may also pay your legal defenses in the event of a complaint against your license to practice or for other legal problems. It’s a small price to pay to protect your livelihood. But be sure it covers the investigation of your license. Click here to learn more on professional liability insurance for massage therapists.

What You Don’t Know About DOH Investigations Can Hurt You.

Massage therapists, I beseech you: please do not talk to a Department of Health (DOH) investigator until you have talked to a health lawyer who is experienced with DOH investigations and board licensing complaints. Do not answer or respond to even the most basic questions about where you work now, what your address is or if you know patient x, until consulting with counsel.

These are the biggest mistakes we see in the massage therapy cases we are called upon to defend after a DOH investigation has been initiated:

1. Failing to keep a current, valid address on file with the DOH (as required by law), which may seriously delay the receipt of the Uniform Complaint (notice of investigation), letters, and other important correspondence related to the investigation.

2. Contacting the DOH investigator and providing him/her an oral statement or oral interview. (Note: There is no legal requirement to do this.)

3. Making a written statement in response to the “invitation” extended by the DOH investigator to do so. (Note: There is no legal requirement to do this.)

4. Failing to carefully review the complaint to make sure it has been sent to the correct massage therapist. (Note: Check name and license number).

5. Failing to ascertain whether or not the investigation is on the “Fast Track” which may then result in an emergency suspension order (ESO) suspending the massage therapist’s license until all proceedings are concluded. (Note: This will usually be the case if there are allegations regarding drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual contact with a patient, mental health issues, or failure to comply with PRN instructions.)

Click here to read more on what not to do if you are contacted by a DOH investigator.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Department of Health (DOH) Investigations of Massage Therapists.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to massage therapists in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, licensing matters and other types of investigations of health professionals and providers.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

As a massage therapists, have you received a letter of investigation from the DOH? What do you think about the rulings during the January 213 board meeting? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

Sources:

Clarkson, Brett. “As Regulators Yank Licenses, Masseuses Blame Businessman, Former School Official.” Sun Sentinel. (January 24, 2013). From: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-01-24/health/fl-massage-board-meetings-20130124_1_massage-licenses-massage-therapists-massage-establishments

About the Authors: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2012 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:47-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Department of Health Investigation, Emergency Suspension Orders, Florida Board of Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy License|Tags: administrative charges, administrative complaint, advanced therapy, ASM Beauty World Academy Inc. Florida Board of Massage Therapy, back pain investigation, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Department of Health (DOH), DOH investigation, emergency suspension order (ESO), fake massage therapist, Florida College of Natural Health, formal hearing, human trafficking, Informal hearing, license investigation, licensed massage therapist, licensure defense coverage, massage therapist, Massage therapy, massage therapy defense, neck pain investigation, neuromuscular therapy, physical therapy, professional liability insurance, rehabilitation investigation, shoulder surgery investigation, sports medicine therapy, trigger point therapy|9 Comments

The Health Law Firm Attorneys Often Represent Massage Therapists in Last Minute Depositions and Hearings

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Our attorneys often receive calls from massage therapists regarding the possibility of representing them on short notice at a Board of Massage Therapy hearing, or at a deposition related to a health care matter.

We Take Last Minute Cases.

There are some law firms that refuse to represent a client at a hearing unless given plenty of advance notice and preparation time. We always prefer to have sufficient time to obtain documents, review files, interview witnesses, conduct research and prepare, in order to provide our clients the best possible representation. But we realize that in certain cases, the alternative is that the client either gets legal representation on little or no advance notice, or has to suffer the consequences of having no legal representation.

If we think the case is too complex for us to represent you effectively on such short notice or that any legal representation would be completely futile we may also refuse to represent a client. However, often this is not the situation.

Administrative Proceedings Can Be Confusing, Even For Inexperienced Attorneys.

In some cases individuals responding to a disciplinary complaint may be fooled into believing that they can effectively represent themselves. Laypersons (meaning, in this case, nonlawyers) who are not aware of such complex matters as the Administrative Procedure Act, the Rules of Civil Procedure, the Rules of Evidence, the Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) Rules which the Board of Massage Therapy and the Department of Health (DOH) have enacted may quickly be perplexed. Often the individual may only figure this out days or weeks before the final hearing.

The inexperienced individual, or even the inexperienced attorney, in these matters can fall into a number of procedural traps that damage an effective defense. This can be advising the individual to talk to the DOH investigator, filing an unnecessary answer to an Administrative Complaint, forgetting or not knowing that the client’s right to be free of self-incrimination applies in this type of case and many others.

Don’t Damage Your Defense.

Often you will find that merely having an experienced attorney to represent you at a hearing or Board meeting will assist you in avoiding mistakes that damage your case and assist you in preserving your rights for an appeal. In other cases it may even be possible to obtain a change in forum to obtain a better result. For example, many laypersons do not know that if you elect an informal hearing before the Board of Massage Therapy, you have waived your right to prove you are innocent by contesting the facts alleged against you.

What few know or think of in the heat of the moment is that you can ask at the informal hearing before the Board of Massage Therapy to contest the facts, to prove you are not guilty of the charges, and to have the hearing converted to a formal hearing. A formal hearing will be in front of a neutral Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), and you have a great many more procedural rights than you have at an informal hearing. However, we still recommend that you have an experienced health lawyer represent you at a formal hearing.

The Health Law Firm is Available for Deposition Coverage.

In a number of cases, we have been requested to provide local deposition coverage in an area near to one of our offices, when an out-of-town lead counsel is unable to make the trip. If the issues involve health care, we are pleased to be able to assist.

Often Professional Liability Insurance Will Pay Legal Fees for Deposition Coverage.

If you are a massage therapist who has a professional liability insurance policy, these often provide legal coverage for depositions. This is primarily because the outcome of the deposition may include having you named as a defendant in a professional liability or negligence lawsuit or having disciplinary charges filed against you.

One of the first things you should do if you receive a subpoena or a notice of a deposition is to contact your professional liability insurance carrier and see if it will pay for an attorney to represent you. For example, Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO), CPH & Associates, Lloyds of London and many other malpractice insurance companies provide excellent deposition coverage.

The second thing you should do is to call an experienced attorney and schedule a consultation. Even if you cannot afford to retain the services of the attorney for the actual deposition, a consultation may assist you in properly preparing.

Consult With A Health Law Attorney Experienced in the Representation of Massage Therapists.

We routinely provide deposition coverage to massage therapists, massage therapy assistants and other health professionals being deposed in criminal cases, negligence cases, civil cases or disciplinary cases involving other health professionals.

The lawyers of The Health Law Firm are experienced in both formal and informal administrative hearings and in representing health professionals in investigations and at Board of Massage Therapy hearings. Call now or visit our website www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

Have you ever had an informal or formal hearing before the Board of Massage Thearpy? What was the experience like? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:11-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Florida Board of Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy|Tags: administrative law judge, administrative procedure act, administrative proceeding, ALJ, Board of Massage Therapy, Board of Massage Therapy hearing, defense attorney, defense lawyer, department of health, deposition coverage, disciplinary charges, disciplinary complaint, FAC, final hearing, Florida Administrative Cods, formal hearing, health law firm, health professional, hearing representation, Informal hearing, last minute deposition coverage, legal representation, legal representation for massage therapist, local deposition coverage, massage therapist, massage therapy assistant, negligence lawsuit, noticed of a deposition, professional liability insurance, rights for an appeal, Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Evidence, short notice representation of massage therapist, subpoena, the health law firm|1 Comment

Massage Therapists (LMTs) and Massage Therapy Assistants: What You Don’t Know About Legal Matters Can Hurt You

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm represent Licensed Massage Therapists (LMTs) and Massage Therapy Assistants in a number of different legal matters. We appear before the Board of Massage Therapy. We represent massage therapists and massage therapy assistants in disciplinary matters, in credential matters, in licensing matters and in defending against malpractice claims and suits.

If you receive a letter from the Department of Health (DOH) notifying you that you are being investigated, this is a very serious matter. Get an attorney who is experienced in such matters. If you do receive a letter from the DOH, finding correct information regarding the next steps in the process is vital. Read on the learn more, and hopefully help you fight to keep your license.

Here is what you didn’t know:

1. You are not required to make any statement to the investigator, oral or written, and you should not do so.

2. You do not have to send the investigator a copy of your resume, and you should not do so.

3. You have a Fifth Amendment right to refuse to say or do anything that might incriminate yourself. This applies to administrative investigations.

4. If you have malpractice insurance (professional liability insurance) it may pay for your legal defense in an investigation. Use it!

5. You have the right to obtain a copy of the investigation after it is completed and to file a rebuttal to it.

Other things about this that you probably don’t know:

1. You should never agree to voluntarily relinquish your license if any investigation is pending. This will be treated the same as a disciplinary revocation and the consequences will be severe. (see below.)

2. You should never request an informal hearing. An informal hearing means you are admitting all of the allegations against you are true (pleading guilty), and you are not disputing them.

3. If disciplinary action is taken against you (including a “voluntary” relinquishment) this will be reported to your national certification board and it will most probably revoke your national certification.

4. If you have licenses in other states or in other health professions, this will be reported and they will commence investigations and disciplinary actions.

5. It will be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The OIG will then commence action to exclude you from the Medicare Program. If excluded, it is likely that you will not be able to work in health care or for any government contractor in any capacity.

Our attorneys have been very successful in representing massage therapists and massage therapy assistants. We may be able to have your case dismissed by the Probable Cause Panel of the Board. If not, we may be able to obtain a favorable result for you in a formal administrative hearing (like a trial) where the government has to prove the case against you and you are able to defend yourself.

You spent a great deal of time and money to get your professional education and your profession licenses. Don’t give it all up without getting advice from experienced attorneys.

Information Regarding Insurance Coverage.

Our recommendation is that every massage therapist and massage therapy assistant carry professional liability insurance that includes professional license defense coverage (sometimes called disciplinary defense, license defense, administrative hearing coverage or broad coverage). Most often this type of insurance coverage is included in most professional liability policies; however, if it is not, it can often be added as a rider to the insurance policy for a slight additional charge. You should be sure that your coverage for professional license defense is at least $25,000, and we recommend that you increase it to $50,000. You should also request and obtain “broad form coverage” that includes coverage of your legal fees for defense of all administrative or governmental proceedings, including Medicare audits, Medicaid audits, EEOC complaints and other types of governmental actions that could be initiated against you.

If you are required to defend yourself at a formal administrative hearing, this is similar to a medical malpractice trial in civil court. Attorney’s fees, court reporter costs, expert witness fees and other costs and fees can rapidly mount up to the point where most massage therapists and massage therapy assistants could not afford to defend themselves. If you are then required to appeal an adverse outcome, the appeal alone could cost $10,000.

Don’t wait to purchase this type of insurance until there is complaint filed against you, because then it is too late to purchase it. Complaints can be initiated against you based solely on anonymous calls to the Department of Health Hotline, newspaper reports, prior arrest reports, disgruntled patients, disgruntled insurance companies, competitors or other sources. Once and investigation is initiated, you should obtain legal representation right away. Without insurance, you probably will not be able to afford to hire a competent, experienced health lawyer to defend you. Always go to a board certified health lawyer experienced in representing massage therapists and massage therapy assistants.

For a chart depicting the Florida Department of Health investigation process, click here.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in the Representation of Massage Therapists.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

As a massage therapist or massage therapy assistant, how much of this blog did you already know? What are your biggest concerns as a health care professional? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. http://www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:47-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Department of Health Investigation, Florida Board of Massage Therapy, Massage Therapy|Tags: administrative charges, administrative complaint, advanced therapy, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Department of Health (DOH), DOH investigation, emergency suspension order (ESO), fake massage therapist, Florida Board of Massage Therapy, Florida College of Natural Health, formal hearing, Informal hearing, license investigation, licensed massage therapist, licensure defense coverage, malpractice insurance, massage therapist, Massage therapy, massage therapy assistant, massage therapy defense, neck pain investigation, neuromuscular therapy, physical therapy, professional liability insurance, rehabilitation investigation, shoulder surgery investigation, sports medicine therapy, the health law firm, trigger point therapy|1 Comment