This web
site provides aggregate national and state data on doctor discipline. Names of those
doctors and their offenses are NOT included on the site. Web sites
with such information need to be frequently updated and we cannot do this because of
limited staff and resources available to continually monitor the information that we
receive from the 51 MD and 14 DO licensing boards and the federal government. This
website does provide direct links to the web sites of
those boards that have information available on the internet.
Detailed information on specific doctors who have been
disciplined is included in the book which can be purchased in
regional editions for $20. The book includes disciplinary actions taken against
doctors from 1990 through December 1999. |
The Georgia Composite State Board of Medical Examiners sent copies of
all orders it issued from January 1990 through October 1990. They later sent a computer
disk that included all disciplinary actions from January 1990 through August 1992. Since
November 1990, and through December 1999, the Board has sent briefer copies of the reports
it submits to the Federation of State Medical Boards. Materials provided contain the
physician's name, degree, license number, date of birth, date and type of action taken,
and sometimes the address and reason for the action. If the action was reviewed, opinions
from all stages of review were included. The reports contain modifications and
terminations of board actions but not information on court decisions affecting board
actions. Georgia informed us no such actions had taken place.
The information provided covers disciplinary actions taken against allopathic
physicians (MDs) and osteopathic physicians (DOs).
Besides disciplinary actions taken by the State Medical Board, this listing also
includes actions taken by the Medicare/Medicaid programs, the FDA, and the DEA against
physicians located in this state. Disciplinary actions taken by other states against
physicians located in Georgia or that match a physician disciplined by Georgia are also
included.
According to the Federation of State Medical Boards, Georgia took 82
serious disciplinary actions against MDs and DOs in 1999. Compared to the 17,961 MDs
licensed in the state, Georgia had a serious disciplinary action rate of 4.57 serious
actions per 1,000 MDs and ranked 15th on that list (see Table
A).
The tables below summarize the data Public Citizen received from Georgia.
| Table
1. Disciplinary Actions Against MDs and DOs 1990 through
1999* |
| Action |
Number |
Percent** |
| Revocation |
52 |
6.1% |
| Surrender |
53 |
6.2% |
| Suspension |
108 |
12.6% |
| Probation |
319 |
37.3% |
| Practice Restriction |
31 |
3.6% |
| Action Taken Against Controlled Substance License |
28 |
3.3% |
| Other Actions |
264 |
30.9% |
| Total Actions |
855 |
100.0% |
* This table lists only the two most serious disciplinary actions taken against a
physician.
** Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
| Table 2.
Offenses for which MDs and DOs were Disciplined 1990 through
1999* |
Offense |
Number |
Percent |
| Criminal Conviction |
24 |
5.0% |
Sexual Abuse of or Sexual Misconduct with a Patient |
13 |
2.7% |
Substandard Care, Incompetence or Negligence |
43 |
9.0% |
Misprescribing or Overprescribing Drugs |
41 |
8.5% |
Substance Abuse |
69 |
14.4$ |
Disciplinary Action Taken Against License by Another
State or Agency |
167 |
34.8% |
Other Offenses |
123 |
25.6% |
Total Records With Offense Listed |
480 |
100.0% |
*Includes only those actions for which an offense was listed and for which
we had a corresponding term in our database.
| Table
3. Disciplinary Actions Taken for Sexual Abuse of or Sexual Misconduct with a Patient |
Action |
Number |
Percent |
Surrender |
1 |
5.3% |
| Suspension |
4 |
21.1% |
Emergency Suspension |
2 |
10.5% |
Probation |
8 |
42.1% |
Fine |
1 |
5.3% |
Other Actions |
3 |
15.8% |
| Total Actions |
19 |
100.0% |
| Table 4.
Disciplinary Actions Taken for Substandard Care, Incompetence or Negligence |
Action |
Number |
Percent |
| Revocation |
2 |
3.3% |
Surrender |
3 |
4.9% |
Suspension |
4 |
6.6% |
Emergency Suspension |
5 |
8.2% |
Probation |
24 |
39.3% |
Practice Restriction |
4 |
6.6% |
Fine |
6 |
9.8% |
Reprimand |
9 |
14.8% |
Other Actions |
4 |
6.6% |
Total Actions |
61 |
100.0% |
Table 5. Disciplinary Actions Taken for Criminal Conviction |
Action |
Number |
Percent |
| Revocation |
5 |
16.1% |
Surrender |
7 |
22.6% |
Suspension |
9 |
29.0% |
Emergency Suspension |
1 |
3.2% |
Probation |
7 |
22.6% |
Fine |
1 |
3.2% |
Other Actions |
1 |
3.2% |
Total Actions |
31 |
100.0% |
| Table 6.
Disciplinary Actions Taken for Misprescribing or Overprescribing Drugs |
Action |
Number |
Percent |
Surrender |
1 |
1.6% |
Revocation, Surrender, or Suspension of Controlled
Substance License |
1 |
1.6% |
Suspension |
8 |
12.9% |
Probation |
36 |
58.1% |
Restriction of Controlled Substance License |
6 |
9.7% |
Fine |
7 |
11.3% |
Other Actions |
3 |
4.8% |
Total Actions |
62 |
100.0% |
Table 7. Disciplinary Actions Taken for Substance Abuse |
Action |
Number |
Percent |
| Revocation |
2 |
2.1% |
Surrender |
1 |
1.1% |
Revocation, Surrender, or Suspension of Controlled
Substance License |
1 |
1.1% |
Suspension |
10 |
10.5% |
Emergency Suspension |
13 |
13.7% |
Probation |
36 |
37.9% |
Restriction of Controlled Substance License |
6 |
6.3% |
Fine |
15 |
15.8% |
Other Actions |
11 |
11.6% |
Total Actions |
95 |
100.0% |
Address
Georgia Composite State Board of Medical Examiners
Executive Director
2 Peachtree Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30303-3465
(404) 656-3913
Internet Address: http://www.sos.state.ga.us/ebd-medical/default.htm |
GEORGIA
Georgia
Board Internet Address: