Patient dismissals: Preserving patient welfare when cutting ties

Complaints involving delays and licensee refusals to sign death certificates have risen significantly in recent years. In this episode, we examine common reasons licensees decline to certify deaths, clarify legal and professional responsibilities, and discuss factors that can contribute to delays in the certification process. Click here to view the resources mentioned in this episode. Host: Jean Fisher Brinkley, Communications Director, North Carolina Medical Board Guest: John Goldfield, PA-C...

In this episode, host Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Brian Blankenship, JD, Chief Legal Officer and Legislative Liaison for the Board, about an important update to physician and physician assistant licensing fees. No one likes hearing that fees are increasing, and we understand that. So rather than simply announcing the change, we wanted to explain how it was decided that the increase is warranted and what these fees support. View some of the resources mentioned in this episode here. Follo...

NCMB’s complaint process is one of the most important aspects of the Board’s work—but it’s also one of the least understood. With more than 3,000 complaints cases opened each year, every concern is reviewed carefully and taken seriously. In this episode, host Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Carren Mackiewicz, Director of NCMB’s Administrative Investigations Legal Department, about how the complaint process works, what kinds of issues NCMB can and can’t address, and what factors determine whet...

Determining if care was safe and appropriate is the key thing NCMB has to do when patients complain about the quality of medical care. But what is the Board really looking at when it does this? Host Jean Fisher Brinkley is joined by Deputy General Counsel for the Board, Patrick Balestrieri who outlines the processes the Board uses when it must decide on whether the care rendered in a case it is considering was within accepted standards of care. View some of the resources mentioned in this epi...

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host Jean Fisher Brinkley gives us her take on the Board's top five consumer resources and how each one works towards building a more informed public. Some of the resources mentioned in this episode include: Smart Patient ToolkitMulti-media optionsLook up a doctor or PA toolPhysical Exam SeriesComplaint processHost: Jean Fisher Brinkley, Communications Director, North Carolina Medical Board Producer: Sylvia French-Hodges, Communications Specialist, N...