Physician Discipline
O.C.G.A. 43-34-8 (2010)
43-34-8. Authority to refuse license, certificate, or permit or issue discipline; suspension; restoration; enforcement investigations; evidentiary privileges; closed hearings; immunity for reporting violations; when investigation or assessment of fitness to practice required; failure to appear; publication of final disciplinary actions
(a) The board shall have authority to refuse to grant a license, certificate, or permit to an applicant or to discipline a person regulated under this chapter or any antecedent law upon a finding by the board that the licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder or applicant has:
(1) Failed to demonstrate the qualifications or standards for a license, certificate, or permit contained in this chapter or in the rules and regulations of the board. It shall be incumbent upon the applicant to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that he or she meets all requirements for the issuance of a license; and, if the board is not satisfied as to the applicant’s qualifications, it shall not issue a license, certificate, or permit;
(2) Knowingly made misleading, deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representations in the practice of a profession licensed, certified, or permitted under this chapter or in any document connected therewith, or practiced fraud or deceit or intentionally made any false statement in obtaining a license, certificate, or permit under this chapter to practice pursuant to this chapter, or made a false statement or deceptive registration with the board;
(3) Been convicted of a felony in the courts of this state or any other state, territory, country, or of the United States. As used in this paragraph, the term “conviction of a felony” shall include a conviction of an offense which if committed in this state would be deemed a felony under either state or federal law, without regard to its designation elsewhere. As used in this paragraph, the term “conviction” shall include a finding or verdict of guilt, a plea of guilty resulting in first offender status, or a plea of nolo contendere in a criminal proceeding, regardless of whether the adjudication of guilt or sentence is withheld or not entered thereon;
(4) Committed a crime involving moral turpitude, without regard to conviction; the conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude shall be evidence of the commission of such crime. As used in this paragraph, the term “conviction” shall have the meaning prescribed in paragraph (3) of this subsection. For the purpose of this chapter, a conviction or plea of guilty or of nolo contendere to a charge or indictment by either federal or state government for income tax evasion shall not be considered a crime involving moral turpitude;
(5) Had his or her license, certificate, or permit to practice pursuant to this chapter revoked, suspended, or annulled by any lawful licensing authority; or had other disciplinary action taken against him or her by any lawful licensing authority; or been denied a license by any lawful licensing authority;
(6) Advertised for or solicited patients; obtained a fee or other thing of value on the representation that a manifestly incurable disease can be permanently cured; or made untruthful or improbable statements, or flamboyant or extravagant claims concerning his or her professional excellence or treatment protocols;
(7) Engaged in any unprofessional, unethical, deceptive, or deleterious conduct or practice harmful to the public, which conduct or practice need not have resulted in actual injury to any person. As used in this paragraph, the term “unprofessional conduct” shall include any departure from, or failure to conform to, the minimum standards of acceptable and prevailing medical practice and shall also include, but not be limited to, the prescribing or use of drugs, treatment, or diagnostic procedures which are detrimental to the patient as determined by the minimum standards of acceptable and prevailing medical practice or by rule of the board;
(8) Performed, procured, or aided or abetted in performing or procuring a criminal abortion;
(9) Knowingly maintained a professional connection or association with any person who is in violation of this chapter or the rules or regulations of the board; or knowingly aided, assisted, procured, or advised any person to practice pursuant to this chapter contrary to this chapter or to the rules and regulations of the board; or knowingly performed any act which in any way aids, assists, procures, advises, or encourages any unlicensed person or entity to practice pursuant to this chapter; or divided fees or agreed to divide fees received for professional services with any person, firm, association, corporation, or other entity for bringing or referring a patient;
(10) Violated or attempted to violate a law, rule, or regulation of this state, any other state, the board, the United States, or any other lawful authority without regard to whether the violation is criminally punishable, which law, rule, or regulation relates to or in part regulates the practice of medicine, when the licensee or applicant knows or should know that such action is violative of such law, rule, or regulation; or violated a lawful order of the board, previously entered by the board in a disciplinary hearing;
(11) Committed any act or omission which is indicative of bad moral character or untrustworthiness;
(12) Been adjudged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction, within or outside this state. Any such adjudication shall automatically suspend the license, certificate, or permit of any such person and shall prevent the reissuance or renewal of any license, certificate, or permit so suspended for as long as the adjudication of incompetence is in effect unless the board, upon a finding that the licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder is mentally competent, orders otherwise. Any applicant who has been so adjudged to be mentally incompetent shall not receive a license, certificate, or permit unless the board, upon a finding that the applicant is mentally competent, orders otherwise;
(13) Become unable to practice pursuant to this chapter with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other type of material, or as a result of any mental or physical condition:
(A) In enforcing this paragraph the board may, upon reasonable grounds, require a licensee, certificate holder, permit holder, or applicant to submit to a mental or physical examination by physicians designated by the board. The expense of this examination shall be borne by the licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder or applicant. The results of such examination shall be admissible in any hearing before the board, notwithstanding any claim of privilege under a contrary rule of law or statute, including, but not limited to, Code Section 24-9-21. Every person who shall accept the privilege of practicing a profession regulated under this chapter or who shall file an application for a license to practice a profession regulated under this chapter in this state shall be deemed to have given his or her consent to submit to such mental or physical examination and to have waived all objections to the admissibility of the results in any hearing before the board, upon the grounds that the same constitutes a privileged communication. If a licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder or applicant fails to submit to such an examination when properly directed to do so by the board, unless such failure was due to circumstances beyond his or her control, the board may enter a final order upon proper notice, hearing, and proof of such refusal. Any licensee, certificate holder, permit holder, or applicant who is prohibited from practicing pursuant to this chapter under this paragraph shall at reasonable intervals be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate to the board that he or she can resume or begin practice pursuant to this chapter with reasonable skill and safety to patients;
(B) For the purposes of this paragraph, the board and any entity which has entered into a contract with the board pursuant to Code Section 43-34-5.1, if specifically provided for in such contract, may, upon reasonable grounds, obtain any and all records relating to the mental or physical condition of a licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder or applicant, including psychiatric records; and such records shall be admissible in any hearing before the board, notwithstanding any privilege under a contrary rule of law or statute, including, but not limited to, Code Section 24-9-21. Every person who shall accept the privilege of practicing pursuant to this chapter in this state or who shall file an application to practice pursuant to this chapter in this state shall be deemed to have given his or her consent to the board’s obtaining any such records and to have waived all objections to the admissibility of such records in any hearing before the board, upon the grounds that the same constitute a privileged communication; and
(C) If any licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder or applicant could, in the absence of this paragraph, invoke a privilege to prevent the disclosure of the results of the examination provided for in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph or the records relating to the mental or physical condition of such licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder or applicant obtained pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, all such information shall be received by the board in camera and shall not be disclosed to the public, nor shall any part of the record containing such information be used against any licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder or applicant in any other type of proceeding;
(14) Cheated on or attempted to subvert an examination by the board;
(15) Committed an act of sexual abuse, misconduct, or exploitation of a patient including guardians and parents of minors;
(16) Mistreated or abandoned a patient or his or her records; provided, however that a physician in compliance with Chapter 33 of Title 31 shall not be considered to have abandoned patient records;
(17) Entered into conduct which discredits the profession;
(18) Failed to furnish records, including, but not limited to, medical records, to the board in response to a subpoena or failed to answer questions on the renewal of the license, certificate, or permit;
(19) Failed to maintain appropriate medical or other records as required by board rule;
(20) Failed to follow generally accepted infection control procedures or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards;
(21) Failed to comply with federal laws and standards relating to the practice of medicine or other health care profession regulated under this chapter, the regulations of drugs, the delivery of health care, or other related laws;
(22) Failed to comply with an order for child support as defined by Code Section 19-11-9.3; it shall be incumbent upon the applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder to supply a notice of release to the board from the appropriate child support authorities within the Department of Human Services indicating that the licensee, certificate holder, permit holder, or applicant has come into compliance with an order for child support so that a license, certificate, or permit may be issued if all other conditions for the issuance of a license, certificate, or permit are met;
(23) Failed to enter into satisfactory repayment status and is a borrower in default as defined by Code Section 20-3-295; it shall be incumbent upon the applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or permit holder to supply the notice of release to the board from the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation indicating that the licensee, certificate holder, permit holder, or applicant has entered into satisfactory repayment status so that a license, certificate, or permit may be issued or granted if all other conditions for issuance of a license, certificate, or permit are met; or
(24) Except for practice settings identified in paragraph (7) of subsection (g) of Code Section 43-34-25 and arrangements approved by the board prior to July 1, 2009, as set forth in subsection (k) of Code Section 43-34-103, been a physician that has been or is employed by one the physician:
(A) Delegates medical acts to:
(B) Enters a protocol or job description with; or
(C) Is responsible for supervising.
There are more sections to this code which deal with the actions the board may take and procedures that must be followed.
DISCLAIMER – Some of these codes have been amended over the years, and they can be amended again by the legislature at any time. For some codes you use the version that existed at the time the malpractice occurred, but for others you use the version of the code that exists at the time you go to trial. We show you these codes for general education purposes, but you should always consult an experienced Georgia medical malpractice attorney before relying on these provisions.
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