What is the Cost For Legal Defense in a Hospital Medical Staff Peer Review Fair Hearing?

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

If you are a physician, nurse practitioner, oral surgeon, dentist, or other health professional with clinical privileges in a hospital, you may face a situation where you are required to defend yourself at a “fair hearing.”  A “fair hearing” is held by the hospital’s medical staff pursuant to the Medical Staff Bylaws or Rules and Regulations of the Medical Staff.

“Fair Hearing”–A Term of Art.

The hearing is called a “fair hearing,” which is a term of art.  Usually, those defending themselves at such hearings don’t find them to be fair at all. However, according to the federal Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA), such proceedings are required to provide the affected healthcare practitioner with certain “due process,” such as the right to be advised of the specific charges made against them, the right to legal representation, the right to produce witnesses and evidence of their own and other rights.

Be Sure You Have Professional Liability Insurance That Includes Coverage for Clinical Privileges Actions.

If you face such a hearing, you will find it difficult to find an experienced lawyer to represent you and, when you do, it will be a costly endeavor.  This is one of the primary reasons to purchase good professional liability insurance, including legal defense of such peer review actions. Unfortunately, most insurance companies that provide such coverage have limits far too low to pay all legal defense expenses you will probably incur.

Standard Insurance Coverage Amounts May Not Be Sufficient to Protect You Properly.

However, the basic amount provided for such coverage in most insurance policies is not sufficient to cover the actual expenses of the proceeding.  Standard coverage amounts are usually in amounts of $25,000, $35,000, or $50,000;  again, these are not sufficient to pay for even the most basic fair hearing.  Some insurers have much higher limits;  it is important to find out precisely what you have to increase the coverage or buy additional coverage.

There are often additional “riders” to insurance policies that you can purchase, “additional coverages,” or even a completely separate policy that will provide such legal defense coverage for you.  It is usually not that expensive and is worth inquiring about.  This type of coverage often goes hand-in-hand with professional license defense coverage as one can cause the other to occur. For example, a hospital peer review action can result in a report to your state licensing board. A licensing complaint or action may cause hospital peer review action to be initiated against you.

You should think of a “fair hearing” as similar to a medical malpractice trial and plan accordingly.


Costs and Expenses of a “Fair Hearing”

One of the most significant expenses you will incur in preparing for a “fair hearing” is expert witness fees. In almost every case we have ever had, obtaining one or more expert witnesses to testify at the hearing has been necessary.  Obtaining experts in medical sub-specialties will cost more, of course, than those in specialties such as family medicine and internal medicine.  It is often difficult to find an expert witness who will not only support your position in the case but will also show up at the hospital to testify at the “fair hearing.”

Additionally, the mere preparation for the hearing (including document reviews and working with the expert witnesses) and representation at the hearing is a time-intensive endeavor.  It has been our experience that even the most routine “fair hearing” costs approximately $100,000. For example, in one case we had involving several different areas of spinal surgery, requiring five (5) expert witnesses, cost in excess of $250,000 (note:  all charges against the doctor were dismissed at the hearing).

Conclusion.

Peer review “fair hearings” in hospitals are costly to defend and require an experienced attorney and the financial resolve to see the case through to its conclusion.  Often insurance does not provide sufficient coverage for such hearings. Therefore, physicians, nurse practitioners, oral surgeons, psychologists, and others having hospital clinical privileges should purchase additional coverage for such events and hire experienced legal counsel to represent them at the earliest stage of the proceedings.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Representing Health Care Professionals and Providers in Peer Review and “Fair Hearing” Matters.

At the Health Law Firm, we provide legal services for all health care providers and professionals. This includes physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, home health agencies, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other healthcare provider. It also includes medical students, resident physicians, and fellows, as well as medical school professors and clinical staff. We represent health facilities, individuals, groups, and institutions in contracts, sales, mergers, and acquisitions. The lawyers of The Health Law Firm are experienced in complex litigation and both formal and informal administrative hearings. We also represent physicians accused of wrongdoing, patient complaints, and in Department of Health investigations.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., L.L.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law; he is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com. The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Avenue, Suite 1000, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620 or Toll-Free: (888) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2021 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

It is Always a Bad Idea for a Doctor, Nurse or Health Professional to . . . .

3 Indest-2009-2By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

My experience in representing doctors, nurses and other licensed health professionals in disciplinary cases has lead me to conclude, us to conclude, its is always a bad idea for them to:

1. Write a prescription for any medication for yourself.

2. Start a romantic relationship with a patient.

3. Take someone else’s prescription medication, ever.

4. Write a prescription for or treat a patient, especially a family member, for a condition outside the scope of his specialty (e.g., a dentist prescribing antibiotics to her children to treat a cold; a pediatrician prescribing pain medications for an adult; a dentist writing a prescription for pain medications for a patient’s back paid; an OB/GYN prescribing antidepressants for a male).

5. Write any prescription for or treat any patient who is in another state when the physician is not licensed in that state.

6. Treat or prescribe for any spouse, other family member, friend or colleague, without opening a medical record and fully documenting the treatment or prescription, as you would for any other patient.

7. Hire a patient to work for you in your office or, especially, allow a patient to “volunteer” to work in your office.

8. Pre-sign blank prescriptions for your Physician Assistant, ARNP, Medical Assistant, receptionist, or anyone else, to complete later, or have pre-signed blank prescriptions in your office.

9. Seek psychotherapy or drug/alcohol abuse treatment with a physician or HCP health professional in your own medical group, institution or the staff of your own hospital.

10. Add to, alter or change any medical/dental record entry after you know there may be a claim, investigation or litigation involving it.

11. For a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor, social worker, psychiatric nurse practitioner) to have any type of social relationship with a current patient.

12. Take and use your own drug samples provided by pharmaceutical companies.

13. Go into a hospital where you do not have clinical privileges and treat or “assist” in treating a patient there, even if it is your own patient.

14. Have a sexual relationship ( including “sexting” or “telephone sex”) with a patient or patient’s immediate family member.

These are actual examples from cases in which I have had to represent licensed health professionals in defending their licenses and attempting to keep their jobs. For each of the above, there have been more than one.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys.

The Health Law Firm routinely represents physicians, nurses and other health providers in investigations, regulatory matters, licensing issues, litigation, inspections and audits involving the DEA, Department of Health (DOH) and other law enforcement agencies. Its attorneys include those who are board certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law as well as licensed health professionals who are also attorneys. We represent medical students, interns, residents, and fellows in disputes with their graduate medical education (GME) programs. We represent clinical professors and instructors in contract disputes, employment disputes, clinical privileges matters and other disputes with their employers. We often act as the physician’s personal counsel in medical malpractice litigation.

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

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law is an attorney with 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 Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for doctors, health law defense attorney, Florida health law defense attorney, Legal counsel for licensure issues, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for suspended or revoked license, legal representation for adverse disciplinary actions, administrative defense attorney, legal representation for investigations and complaints, legal representation for administrative hearings, complaint investigation defense attorney for health care professionals, appeals (and variations on appeal ) of adverse license action, Virginia health law defense lawyer, Louisiana health law defense legal counsel, legal representation for physicians, legal representation for mental health professionals. Colorado health professional defense lawyer, Virginia health law defense counsel, District of Columbia health law legal representation, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Doctors, Nurses and Health Care Professionals Take Heed: It is Always a Bad Idea to . . . .

8 Indest-2008-5By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

In my 30 plus years of practice representing physicians, dentists, nurses and health care professionals, I have defended clients involved in many different situations. Several of these seem to be problem  areas which we see repeatedly. The following is a list of those problems which it would seem to be common sense for a physician or other health care professional to avoid doing.

I can assure you, it is always a bad idea for a physician or other health care professional to:

1. Write a prescription for any medication for yourself.

2. Start a romantic relationship with a patient.

3. Take someone else’s prescription medication, ever.

4. Write a prescription for or treat a patient, especially a family member, for a condition outside the scope of her specialty (e.g., a dentist prescribing antibiotics to her children to treat a cold;  a pediatrician prescribing pain medications for an adult;  a dentist writing a prescription for pain medications for a patient’s back pain;  an OB/GYN prescribing antidepressants for a male; podiatrist writing prescriptions for narcotics to treat back pain).
5. Write any prescription for or treat any patient who is in another state when the physician or health professional is not licensed in that state.

6. Treat or prescribe for any spouse, other family member, friend or colleague, without opening a medical record and fully documenting the treatment or prescription, as you would for any other patient.

7. Hire a patient to work for you in your office or, especially, allow a patient to “volunteer” to work in your office.

8. Pre-sign blank prescriptions for your physician assistant, ARNP, medical assistant, nurse, receptionist, or anyone else, to complete later, or have pre-signed blank prescriptions in your office.

9. Seek psychotherapy or drug/alcohol abuse treatment with a physician or health professional in your own medical group, institution or the staff of your own hospital.

10. Add to, alter or change any medical/dental record entry after you know there may be a claim, investigation or litigation involving it.

11. For a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor,  social worker, psychiatric nurse practitioner) to have any type of social relationship with a current patient.

12. Take and use your own drug samples provided by pharmaceutical companies.

13. Go into a hospital where you do not have clinical privileges and treat or “assist” in treating a patient there, even if it is your own patient.

14. Have a sexual relationship ( including “sexting” or “telephone sex”) with a patient or patient’s immediate family member.

These are actual examples from cases in which I have had to represent licensed health professionals in defending their licenses and attempting to keep their jobs.  For each of the above, there have been more than one.

Avoid doing these things and you will be avoiding some of the major actions including charges and an investigation by your state licensing board, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), your national certification board, any facility at which you have privileges and other law enforcement agencies.

For more information on things that could be harmful to your professional license, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

To learn more about how The Health Law Firm can assist you, click here to visit our website’s areas of practice page.

Click here to view a powerpoint presentation from a previous lecture on how to protect your license.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Investigations of Health Professionals and Providers.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and other health providers in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, FBI investigations, Medicare investigations, Medicaid investigations 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.
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.

KeyWords: Items health care professionals should avoid doing, legal representation for investigation by state licensing board, legal representation for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, DEA investigation defense attorney, legal representation for Board investigations, legal representation for Board complaints, legal representation for licensure revocation, license defense attorney, licensure defense for health care professionals, legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for DOH investigations, DOH defense attorney, legal representation for DOH complaints, legal representation for disciplinary actions,  legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for doctors, Legal counsel for licensure issues, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for suspended or revoked license, legal representation for adverse disciplinary actions, administrative defense attorney, legal representation for investigations and complaints, legal representation for administrative hearings, complaint investigation defense attorney for health care professionals, appeals (and variations on appeal ) of adverse license action, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm Attorneys, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

It is Always a Bad Idea for a Doctor, Nurse or Health Professional to . . . .

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

My experience in representing doctors, nurses and other licensed health professionals in disciplinary cases has lead me to conclude, us to conclude, its is always a bad idea for them to:

1. Write a prescription for any medication for yourself.

2. Start a romantic relationship with a patient.

3. Take someone else’s prescription medication, ever.

4. Write a prescription for or treat a patient, especially a family member, for a condition outside the scope of his specialty (e.g., a dentist prescribing antibiotics to her children to treat a cold; a pediatrician prescribing pain medications for an adult; a dentist writing a prescription for pain medications for a patient’s back paid; an OB/GYN prescribing antidepressants for a male).

5. Write any prescription for or treat any patient who is in another state when the physician is not licensed in that state.

6. Treat or prescribe for any spouse, other family member, friend or colleague, without opening a medical record and fully documenting the treatment or prescription, as you would for any other patient.

7. Hire a patient to work for you in your office or, especially, allow a patient to “volunteer” to work in your office.

8. Pre-sign blank prescriptions for your Physician Assistant, ARNP, Medical Assistant, receptionist, or anyone else, to complete later, or have pre-signed blank prescriptions in your office.

9. Seek psychotherapy or drug/alcohol abuse treatment with a physician or HCP health professional in your own medical group, institution or the staff of your own hospital.

10. Add to, alter or change any medical/dental record entry after you know there may be a claim, investigation or litigation involving it.

11. For a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor, social worker, psychiatric nurse practitioner) to have any type of social relationship with a current patient.

12. Take and use your own drug samples provided by pharmaceutical companies.

13. Go into a hospital where you do not have clinical privileges and treat or “assist” in treating a patient there, even if it is your own patient.

14. Have a sexual relationship ( including “sexting” or “telephone sex”) with a patient or patient’s immediate family member.

These are actual examples from cases in which I have had to represent licensed health professionals in defending their licenses and attempting to keep their jobs. For each of the above, there have been more than one.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys.

The Health Law Firm routinely represents physicians, nurses and other health providers in investigations, regulatory matters, licensing issues, litigation, inspections and audits involving the DEA, Department of Health (DOH) and other law enforcement agencies. Its attorneys include those who are board certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law as well as licensed health professionals who are also attorneys. We represent medical students, interns, residents, and fellows in disputes with their graduate medical education (GME) programs. We represent clinical professors and instructors in contract disputes, employment disputes, clinical privileges matters and other disputes with their employers. We often act as the physician’s personal counsel in medical malpractice litigation.

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

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law is an attorney with 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 Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for doctors, health law defense attorney, Florida health law defense attorney, Legal counsel for licensure issues, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for suspended or revoked license, legal representation for adverse disciplinary actions, administrative defense attorney, legal representation for investigations and complaints, legal representation for administrative hearings, complaint investigation defense attorney for health care professionals, appeals (and variations on appeal ) of adverse license action, Virginia health law defense lawyer, Louisiana health law defense legal counsel, legal representation for physicians, legal representation for mental health professionals. Colorado health professional defense lawyer, Virginia health law defense counsel, District of Columbia health law legal representation, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Doctors, Nurses and Health Care Professionals Take Heed: It is Always a Bad Idea to . . . .

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

In my 30 plus years of practice representing physicians, dentists, nurses and health care professionals, I have defended clients involved in many different situations. Several of these seem to be problem  areas which we see repeatedly. The following is a list of those problems which it would seem to be common sense for a physician or other health care professional to avoid doing.

I can assure you, it is always a bad idea for a physician or other health care professional to:

1. Write a prescription for any medication for yourself.

2. Start a romantic relationship with a patient.

3. Take someone else’s prescription medication, ever.

4. Write a prescription for or treat a patient, especially a family member, for a condition outside the scope of her specialty (e.g., a dentist prescribing antibiotics to her children to treat a cold;  a pediatrician prescribing pain medications for an adult;  a dentist writing a prescription for pain medications for a patient’s back pain;  an OB/GYN prescribing antidepressants for a male; podiatrist writing prescriptions for narcotics to treat back pain).
5. Write any prescription for or treat any patient who is in another state when the physician or health professional is not licensed in that state.

6. Treat or prescribe for any spouse, other family member, friend or colleague, without opening a medical record and fully documenting the treatment or prescription, as you would for any other patient.

7. Hire a patient to work for you in your office or, especially, allow a patient to “volunteer” to work in your office.

8. Pre-sign blank prescriptions for your physician assistant, ARNP, medical assistant, nurse, receptionist, or anyone else, to complete later, or have pre-signed blank prescriptions in your office.

9. Seek psychotherapy or drug/alcohol abuse treatment with a physician or health professional in your own medical group, institution or the staff of your own hospital.

10. Add to, alter or change any medical/dental record entry after you know there may be a claim, investigation or litigation involving it.

11. For a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor,  social worker, psychiatric nurse practitioner) to have any type of social relationship with a current patient.

12. Take and use your own drug samples provided by pharmaceutical companies.

13. Go into a hospital where you do not have clinical privileges and treat or “assist” in treating a patient there, even if it is your own patient.

14. Have a sexual relationship ( including “sexting” or “telephone sex”) with a patient or patient’s immediate family member.

These are actual examples from cases in which I have had to represent licensed health professionals in defending their licenses and attempting to keep their jobs.  For each of the above, there have been more than one.

Avoid doing these things and you will be avoiding some of the major actions including charges and an investigation by your state licensing board, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), your national certification board, any facility at which you have privileges and other law enforcement agencies.

For more information on things that could be harmful to your professional license, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

To learn more about how The Health Law Firm can assist you, click here to visit our website’s areas of practice page.

Click here to view a powerpoint presentation from a previous lecture on how to protect your license.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Investigations of Health Professionals and Providers.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and other health providers in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, FBI investigations, Medicare investigations, Medicaid investigations 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.
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.

KeyWords: Items health care professionals should avoid doing, legal representation for investigation by state licensing board, legal representation for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, DEA investigation defense attorney, legal representation for Board investigations, legal representation for Board complaints, legal representation for licensure revocation, license defense attorney, licensure defense for health care professionals, legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for DOH investigations, DOH defense attorney, legal representation for DOH complaints, legal representation for disciplinary actions,  legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for doctors, Legal counsel for licensure issues, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for suspended or revoked license, legal representation for adverse disciplinary actions, administrative defense attorney, legal representation for investigations and complaints, legal representation for administrative hearings, complaint investigation defense attorney for health care professionals, appeals (and variations on appeal ) of adverse license action, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm Attorneys, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Massage Therapist Sued for $25 Million After Alleged Sexual Assault

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

A woman who claims she was assaulted at a Massage Envy location in the Northwest section of the District of Columbia (D.C.) filed a $25 million lawsuit against the company and the massage therapist who she said attacked her. The alleged victim, who is not identified in the suit, said the franchise owners never should have hired the alleged attacker, and that they knew he previously had been accused of assaulting women.

The Allegations.

According to the suit, the defendant removed a sheet that was covering the woman and made inappropriate oral sexual contact toward the end of her 90-minute massage at a Massage Envy location. The woman immediately pulled the sheet back up to cover herself and told him to leave.

The defendant has been accused in four separate reports of sexual misconduct at three different locations. Click here to read about all of the accusations against the defendant.

The woman who filed the suit is seeking $25 million from Massage Envy, the franchise owners and the defendant.

To learn about how to protect yourself as a massage therapist from situations like this and the repercussions, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in the Representation 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. We have represented a number of massage therapists who have had summary actions initiated against their massage therapy licenses by the Department of Health (DOH).

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

Sources:

Segraves, Mark. “Woman Sues DC Massage Envy, Masseur for $25M After Alleged Assault.” NBC Washington. (October 14, 2017). Web.

Swalec, Andrea. “Massage Envy Worker Now Accused in 4th Sex Abuse Case.” NBC Washington. (September 21, 2017). Web.

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.

KeyWords: Legal representation for massage therapists, legal representation for Department of Health (DOH) Investigation, legal representation for Board of Massage Therapy investigations, Massage Therapy Licence defense attorney, massage therapy licensure attorney, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for massage therapy license investigation, massage therapy defense, legal representation for massage therapy regulations, legal representation for employee of massage establishment, legal representation for employer of massage establishment, massage therapist attorney, regulations of massage therapists, legal representation for health professionals, health law defense attorney, The Health Law Firm, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, The Health Law Firm attorney reviews

 

“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 © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Florida Woman Sues After Claims She Was Sexually Assaulted at Massage Envy

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

On December 7, 2017, a woman who accused a Coral Gables Massage Envy masseur of sexual assault filed a civil lawsuit in Miami-Dade circuit court against that franchise’s owner. The suit charges that First World Financial Corp.’s negligence in hiring and business practices cleared the way for the alleged sexual assault by the male licensed massage therapist.

According to the suit, she is seeking compensation for “injury and expense, including but not limited to, psychological and emotional injuries, mental anguish, and the loss of the enjoyment of life.”

I recently wrote a blog about a similar case that was filed in Washington, D.C., seeking $25 million in damages. Read it here.

Details of the Florida Suit.

After the allegations came forward, the massage therapist was charged criminally with sexual battery and felony battery. He pled guilty to felony battery and received five years probation. His massage therapist license has been under an emergency restriction order from the Florida Department of Health (DOH), which still allows him to give massages, but a supervisor must be present. His license expired in August 2017.

The woman, who is not named in the suit, claims that First World knew of the numerous nationwide sexual assault reports but didn’t tell women coming in for massages. Nor did First World “have reasonable policies and procedures in place to protect its female guests from a sexual misconduct by a person performing services at Massage Envy.

To read a prior blog I wrote on a similar case involving a massage therapist in hot water, click here.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in the Representation 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. We have represented a number of massage therapists who have had summary actions initiated against their massage therapy licenses by the Department of Health (DOH).

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

Sources:

Neal, David. “She says she was sexually assaulted at Massage Envy. Now she’s suing.” Miami Herald. (November 17, 2017). Web.

Neal, David. “7 healthcare workers disciplined over fraud, drug use, rape allegation.” Miami Herald. (June 17, 2017). Web.

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.

KeyWords: Legal representation for massage therapists, legal representation for Department of Health (DOH) Investigation, legal representation for Board of Massage Therapy investigations, Massage Therapy License defense attorney, massage therapy licensure attorney, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for massage therapy license investigation, massage therapy defense, legal representation for massage therapy regulations, legal representation for employee of massage establishment, legal representation for employer of massage establishment, massage therapist attorney, regulations of massage therapists, legal representation for health professionals, health law defense attorney, The Health Law Firm, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, The Health Law Firm attorney reviews

“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 © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

 

Doctors, Nurses and Health Care Professionals Take Heed: It is Always a Bad Idea to . . . .

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

In my 30 plus years of practice representing physicians, dentists, nurses and health care professionals, I have defended clients involved in many different situations. Several of these seem to be problem  areas which we see repeatedly. The following is a list of those problems which it would seem to be common sense for a physician or other health care professional to avoid doing.

I can assure you, it is always a bad idea for a physician or other health care professional to:

1. Write a prescription for any medication for yourself.

2. Start a romantic relationship with a patient.

3. Take someone else’s prescription medication, ever.

4. Write a prescription for or treat a patient, especially a family member, for a condition outside the scope of her specialty (e.g., a dentist prescribing antibiotics to her children to treat a cold;  a pediatrician prescribing pain medications for an adult;  a dentist writing a prescription for pain medications for a patient’s back pain;  an OB/GYN prescribing antidepressants for a male; podiatrist writing prescriptions for narcotics to treat back pain).
5. Write any prescription for or treat any patient who is in another state when the physician or health professional is not licensed in that state.

6. Treat or prescribe for any spouse, other family member, friend or colleague, without opening a medical record and fully documenting the treatment or prescription, as you would for any other patient.

7. Hire a patient to work for you in your office or, especially, allow a patient to “volunteer” to work in your office.

8. Pre-sign blank prescriptions for your physician assistant, ARNP, medical assistant, nurse, receptionist, or anyone else, to complete later, or have pre-signed blank prescriptions in your office.

9. Seek psychotherapy or drug/alcohol abuse treatment with a physician or health professional in your own medical group, institution or the staff of your own hospital.

10. Add to, alter or change any medical/dental record entry after you know there may be a claim, investigation or litigation involving it.

11. For a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor,  social worker, psychiatric nurse practitioner) to have any type of social relationship with a current patient.

12. Take and use your own drug samples provided by pharmaceutical companies.

13. Go into a hospital where you do not have clinical privileges and treat or “assist” in treating a patient there, even if it is your own patient.

14. Have a sexual relationship ( including “sexting” or “telephone sex”) with a patient or patient’s immediate family member.

These are actual examples from cases in which I have had to represent licensed health professionals in defending their licenses and attempting to keep their jobs.  For each of the above, there have been more than one.

Avoid doing these things and you will be avoiding some of the major actions including charges and an investigation by your state licensing board, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), your national certification board, any facility at which you have privileges and other law enforcement agencies.

For more information on things that could be harmful to your professional license, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

To learn more about how The Health Law Firm can assist you, click here to visit our website’s areas of practice page.

Click here to view a powerpoint presentation from a previous lecture on how to protect your license.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Investigations of Health Professionals and Providers.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and other health providers in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, FBI investigations, Medicare investigations, Medicaid investigations 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.
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.

KeyWords: Items health care professionals should avoid doing, legal representation for investigation by state licensing board, legal representation for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, DEA investigation defense attorney, legal representation for Board investigations, legal representation for Board complaints, legal representation for licensure revocation, license defense attorney, licensure defense for health care professionals, legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for DOH investigations, DOH defense attorney, legal representation for DOH complaints, legal representation for disciplinary actions,  legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for doctors, Legal counsel for licensure issues, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for suspended or revoked license, legal representation for adverse disciplinary actions, administrative defense attorney, legal representation for investigations and complaints, legal representation for administrative hearings, complaint investigation defense attorney for health care professionals, appeals (and variations on appeal ) of adverse license action, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm Attorneys, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

It is Always a Bad Idea for a Doctor, Nurse or Health Professional to . . . .

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

My experience in representing doctors, nurses and other licensed health professionals in disciplinary cases has lead me to conclude, us to conclude, its is always a bad idea for them to:

1. Write a prescription for any medication for yourself.

2. Start a romantic relationship with a patient.

3. Take someone else’s prescription medication, ever.

4. Write a prescription for or treat a patient, especially a family member, for a condition outside the scope of his specialty (e.g., a dentist prescribing antibiotics to her children to treat a cold; a pediatrician prescribing pain medications for an adult; a dentist writing a prescription for pain medications for a patient’s back paid; an OB/GYN prescribing antidepressants for a male).

5. Write any prescription for or treat any patient who is in another state when the physician is not licensed in that state.

6. Treat or prescribe for any spouse, other family member, friend or colleague, without opening a medical record and fully documenting the treatment or prescription, as you would for any other patient.

7. Hire a patient to work for you in your office or, especially, allow a patient to “volunteer” to work in your office.

8. Pre-sign blank prescriptions for your Physician Assistant, ARNP, Medical Assistant, receptionist, or anyone else, to complete later, or have pre-signed blank prescriptions in your office.

9. Seek psychotherapy or drug/alcohol abuse treatment with a physician or HCP health professional in your own medical group, institution or the staff of your own hospital.

10. Add to, alter or change any medical/dental record entry after you know there may be a claim, investigation or litigation involving it.

11. For a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor, social worker, psychiatric nurse practitioner) to have any type of social relationship with a current patient.

12. Take and use your own drug samples provided by pharmaceutical companies.

13. Go into a hospital where you do not have clinical privileges and treat or “assist” in treating a patient there, even if it is your own patient.

14. Have a sexual relationship ( including “sexting” or “telephone sex”) with a patient or patient’s immediate family member.

These are actual examples from cases in which I have had to represent licensed health professionals in defending their licenses and attempting to keep their jobs. For each of the above, there have been more than one.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys.

The Health Law Firm routinely represents physicians, nurses and other health providers in investigations, regulatory matters, licensing issues, litigation, inspections and audits involving the DEA, Department of Health (DOH) and other law enforcement agencies. Its attorneys include those who are board certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law as well as licensed health professionals who are also attorneys. We represent medical students, interns, residents, and fellows in disputes with their graduate medical education (GME) programs. We represent clinical professors and instructors in contract disputes, employment disputes, clinical privileges matters and other disputes with their employers. We often act as the physician’s personal counsel in medical malpractice litigation.

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

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law is an attorney with 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 Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for doctors, health law defense attorney, Florida health law defense attorney, Legal counsel for licensure issues, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for suspended or revoked license, legal representation for adverse disciplinary actions, administrative defense attorney, legal representation for investigations and complaints, legal representation for administrative hearings, complaint investigation defense attorney for health care professionals, appeals (and variations on appeal ) of adverse license action, Virginia health law defense lawyer, Louisiana health law defense legal counsel, legal representation for physicians, legal representation for mental health professionals. Colorado health professional defense lawyer, Virginia health law defense counsel, District of Columbia health law legal representation, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Doctors, Nurses and Health Care Professionals Take Heed: It is Always a Bad Idea to . . . .

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

In my 30 plus years of practice representing physicians, dentists, nurses and health care professionals, I have defended clients involved in many different situations. Several of these seem to be problem  areas which we see repeatedly. The following is a list of those problems which it would seem to be common sense for a physician or other health care professional to avoid doing.

I can assure you, it is always a bad idea for a physician or other health care professional to:

1. Write a prescription for any medication for yourself.

2. Start a romantic relationship with a patient.

3. Take someone else’s prescription medication, ever.

4. Write a prescription for or treat a patient, especially a family member, for a condition outside the scope of her specialty (e.g., a dentist prescribing antibiotics to her children to treat a cold;  a pediatrician prescribing pain medications for an adult;  a dentist writing a prescription for pain medications for a patient’s back pain;  an OB/GYN prescribing antidepressants for a male; podiatrist writing prescriptions for narcotics to treat back pain).
5. Write any prescription for or treat any patient who is in another state when the physician or health professional is not licensed in that state.

6. Treat or prescribe for any spouse, other family member, friend or colleague, without opening a medical record and fully documenting the treatment or prescription, as you would for any other patient.

7. Hire a patient to work for you in your office or, especially, allow a patient to “volunteer” to work in your office.

8. Pre-sign blank prescriptions for your physician assistant, ARNP, medical assistant, nurse, receptionist, or anyone else, to complete later, or have pre-signed blank prescriptions in your office.

9. Seek psychotherapy or drug/alcohol abuse treatment with a physician or health professional in your own medical group, institution or the staff of your own hospital.

10. Add to, alter or change any medical/dental record entry after you know there may be a claim, investigation or litigation involving it.

11. For a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor,  social worker, psychiatric nurse practitioner) to have any type of social relationship with a current patient.

12. Take and use your own drug samples provided by pharmaceutical companies.

13. Go into a hospital where you do not have clinical privileges and treat or “assist” in treating a patient there, even if it is your own patient.

14. Have a sexual relationship ( including “sexting” or “telephone sex”) with a patient or patient’s immediate family member.

These are actual examples from cases in which I have had to represent licensed health professionals in defending their licenses and attempting to keep their jobs.  For each of the above, there have been more than one.

Avoid doing these things and you will be avoiding some of the major actions including charges and an investigation by your state licensing board, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), your national certification board, any facility at which you have privileges and other law enforcement agencies.

For more information on things that could be harmful to your professional license, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

To learn more about how The Health Law Firm can assist you, click here to visit our website’s areas of practice page.

Click here to view a powerpoint presentation from a previous lecture on how to protect your license.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Investigations of Health Professionals and Providers.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and other health providers in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, FBI investigations, Medicare investigations, Medicaid investigations 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.
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.

KeyWords: Items health care professionals should avoid doing, legal representation for investigation by state licensing board, legal representation for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, DEA investigation defense attorney, legal representation for Board investigations, legal representation for Board complaints, legal representation for licensure revocation, license defense attorney, licensure defense for health care professionals, legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for DOH investigations, DOH defense attorney, legal representation for DOH complaints, legal representation for disciplinary actions,  legal representation for health professionals, legal representation for doctors, Legal counsel for licensure issues, licensure defense attorney, legal representation for suspended or revoked license, legal representation for adverse disciplinary actions, administrative defense attorney, legal representation for investigations and complaints, legal representation for administrative hearings, complaint investigation defense attorney for health care professionals, appeals (and variations on appeal ) of adverse license action, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm Attorneys, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

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