Peer Review
Representation for Hospital Credentialing and Peer Review
Physicians and other healthcare personnel should seek legal advice as soon as they become aware of a potential peer review action and before meeting with any medical staff committees. It is especially important to seek legal counsel during the early stages of an investigation. Physicians should obtain a complete copy of the relevant medical file, thoroughly discuss the matter with their attorney, and be prepared for medical staff meetings and any peer review hearing. Knowledge and preparation are the key to maximizing your chances of a good outcome should you become the subject of review by a hospital or other healthcare facility.
It is also important for healthcare professionals to seek sound legal advice if they encounter difficulties in obtaining hospital credentialing or face the potential of a restriction of their clinical privileges. The denial, limitation or loss of clinical privileges will be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and can have severe repercussions on a professional’s career.
Hospital medical staff review and peer review action has the potential to severely impact a provider’s practice and reputation and could also prompt a licensing board action. It is important to recognize and to know how to combat a sham peer review action or, if action is inevitable and forthcoming, to be familiar with the best means to combat a reportable peer review report.
If you are a physician or other healthcare professional needing help with these issues, we encourage you to contact Frances Cullen, PC. We are well qualified to provide you with representation for medical staff issues and hospital peer review hearings.
Representative Cases
In a case where a hospital summarily suspended a physician’s clinical privileges, Frances Cullen worked with the hospital to address what they perceived as alleged deficiencies and helped the physician obtain a “void” to remove the negative National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) report that would have had a significantly negative impact on his career.
In another hospital peer review case, Frances Cullen worked with a hospital temporarily limiting a physician’s clinical privileges to limit the language of the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) language and its potential negative effect.
Contact Frances Cullen, PC
Contact Frances Cullen as soon as possible if you are a physician or other healthcare provider and you suspect you may be facing a criminal charge, or civil investigation or prosecution by Medicare or Medicaid (Department of Community Health – DCH), or you have been subject to investigation or arrest.
Don’t risk your license and your livelihood, and settle for any lawyer when you can call Frances Cullen, PC to retain an attorney experienced in both criminal defense and the issues unique to licensed professionals.
Proviso: Due to the professional stature of my clients and the sensitive nature of the issues that are the subject of these matters, client names are not provided for these cases.
