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 Minnesota Board of Medical Examiners maintains a cumulative list of
disciplined physicians, which it updates several times a year. The Board sent lists of all
public disciplinary actions it had taken from 1990 through 1999, as well as copies of many
disciplinary orders and press summaries from its September 1990 through November 1994
meetings. The lists contain the physician's name, license number, and the date and type of
action taken. The press summaries contain the physician's name, degree, date of birth,
address, the date and type of action taken, and the reason for the action. They contain
information on modifications and terminations of board actions but not on court decisions
affecting board actions. The orders contain the physician's name, degree, occasionally the
physician's address or city of residence, the date of the action, and a detailed
description of the type of action taken and the reason for the action. Little information
on appeals was available.
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 Minnesota or that match a physician disciplined by Minnesota are
also included.
According to the Federation of State Medical Boards, Minnesota took 21
serious disciplinary actions against MDs and DOs in 1999. Compared to the 13,275 MDs in
the state, Minnesota had a serious disciplinary action rate of 1.58 serious actions per
1,000 MDs and ranked 48th on that list (see Table A).
The tables below summarize the data Public Citizen received from Minnesota.
| Table
1. Disciplinary Actions Against MDs and DOs 1990
through 1999* |
| Action |
Number |
Percent** |
| Revocation |
16 |
3.2% |
| Surrender |
34 |
6.9% |
| Suspension |
83 |
16.8% |
| Probation |
1 |
0.2% |
| Practice Restriction |
218 |
44.2% |
| Action Taken Against Controlled Substance License |
6 |
1.2% |
| Other Actions |
135 |
27.4% |
| Total Actions |
493 |
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 |
4 |
4.5% |
Sexual Abuse of or Sexual Misconduct with a Patient |
9 |
10.1% |
Substandard Care, Incompetence or Negligence |
1 |
1.1% |
Misprescribing or Overprescribing Drugs |
19 |
21.3% |
Substance Abuse |
6 |
6.7% |
Disciplinary Action Taken Against License by Another
State or Agency |
20 |
22.5% |
Other Offenses |
30 |
33.7% |
Total Records With Offense Listed |
89 |
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 |
| Fine |
7 |
43.8% |
Other Actions |
9 |
56.3% |
Total Actions |
16 |
100.0% |
Table
4. Disciplinary Actions Taken for Misprescribing or Overprescribing Drugs |
Action |
Number |
Percent |
| Surrender |
1 |
2.8% |
Revocation, Surrender, or Suspension of Controlled
Substance License |
1 |
2.8% |
Suspension |
3 |
8.3% |
Restriction of Controlled Substance License |
4 |
11.1% |
Fine |
15 |
41.7% |
Education |
10 |
27.8% |
Other Actions |
2 |
5.6% |
Total Actions |
36 |
100.0% |
Table
5. Disciplinary Actions Taken for Substance Abuse |
Action |
Number |
Percent |
| Suspension |
4 |
40.0% |
Required to Enter an Impaired Physician Program or
Substance Abuse Treatment |
2 |
20.0% |
Other Actions |
4 |
40.0% |
Total Actions |
10 |
100.0% |
If you feel that your doctor has not given you
proper medical care or has mistreated you in any way--whether or not he or she is listed
in this report--it is important that you let your state medical board know. Even if they
do not immediately act on your complaint, it is important that the information be recorded
in their files because it is possible that other people may have filed or will file
complaints about the same doctor. Send a brief written description of what occurred to the
addresses below or call the phone numbers listed for more information on how to file a
complaint.
Address
Minnesota Board of Medical Examiners
Robert A. Leach, JD, Executive Director
University Park Plaza
2829 University Avenue, SE, #400
Minneapolis, MN 55414-3246
(612) 617-2130
(800) 657-3709
Fax: (612) 617-2166
Internet Address: http://www.bmp.state.mn.us
|
MINNESOTA
Minnesota
Board Internet Address: 