Frequently Asked Questions

This is a really important question because your license or career in healthcare is at risk. For a thorough answer please see our article, Why Should I Hire An Attorney?  (click here to be taken to the article).

As the lead attorney and founder, I have over 23 years of experience and have represented healthcare providers in license matters throughout my entire career. We only co-counsel with experienced attorneys who do the same type of work.

I am a registered nurse with a Master’s Degree in nursing administration and clinical nurse specialist in medical/surgical nursing. I’m also an attorney and have practiced law for over 23 years. I also know and co-counsel with fellow nurse-attorneys located throughout the country.

Finding the right attorney is like finding the right doctor. You want to make sure that it’s someone that you feel comfortable working with and that you can trust. Someone who takes your matter seriously and that you can freely discuss your confidential issues. Obviously an attorney’s years of experience and the number of clients with similar issues they have helped are important considerations. However, even more important is the relationship and trust that you have with your attorney.

Yes. Our legal team is very particular about our clients. We only work with clients that we believe we can help. Our clients are competent healthcare providers, take pride in their work, are honest, on top of things, follow the attorney’s directions in a timely manner and have integrity. They tend to be kind, caring, compassionate and committed to doing whatever it takes. We work with clients who are like us.

Our legal team charges on a flat fee basis. We never want you to get surprised by a bill or owe more money than you anticipate. Our attorneys are very up front with their fees and you will sign a fee agreement knowing exactly how much your case will cost. Each case is different and the flat fee is negotiated based on the type of case and amount of work to be done.

Figure out how much money you make a year and multiply that by the number of years left that you have to practice. The amount that you will pay an attorney is very small compared to your earning capacity for the rest of your career. Ask yourself, what is your livelihood worth to you? You’ve invested years of your life to become a healthcare provider. Don’t let anything sabotage that.

We are a preferred provider for certain types of disciplinary defense insurance companies. Generally these types of insurance are a reimbursement policy.

Don’t panic, but it’s important to be prepared. Click here for an audio recording on what to expect and how you can be proactive about protecting your license.

The Licensing Board can give you a reprimand or place your license on probation, suspend your license or revoke your license. It is unusual for the Board to revoke people’s licenses because you can reapply to get it back in after a certain number of years. What’s more likely is that they will suspend the license for several years. In our experience, licenses are usually suspended if the Board feels like you are a danger to the public. You can practice on a probationary license with certain terms and conditions that are mandated by the Board.It is unusual to have a license revoked, and unless the Board feels like you are a danger to the public, they are more likely to suspend a license.

If charges are filed against your license, the charges and the resolution do become a matter of public record even if the matter is dismissed. Therefore, anyone can find out about it. Most healthcare providers are able to get a job after their board matter. However, in this economy, depending on your profession, the job market may be better in certain areas than in others.

If you have action taken against your license in one state, and then the other state(s) find out, that state may also pursue action against your license. If you have a license in more than one state, it is best to be proactive to minimize the discipline in another state.

Although this sounds like an easy answer to your problems especially if you no longer want to practice in that state, it can backfire. If you voluntarily surrender your license in one state, it may create more problems for you in the other state(s) where you are licensed.

If a matter is simply investigated, this information is confidential. However, if action is taken against your license, it does become public record and anyone can find out about it if they know how to access the public records.

If you are arrested for drunk driving, I suggest you not only contact a criminal attorney, but also an attorney like us who works with health care providers and their licenses. The sooner you do this, the easier it is for us to protect your license. There are things we can help you with proactively to help protect your license down the road.

A peer assistance program is a program designed to help nurses or healthcare providers who use alcohol or controlled substances. It just depends on the facts of your case if it is necessary. Also, sometimes entering a peer assistance program can be a helpful way to protect your license.

The OIG exclusion list is a list by the Office of Inspector General. Basically, this list excludes you from taking care of Medicare and Medicaid patients and getting reimbursement. If you are on this list, it is difficult to practice if your employer takes any type of insurance. There are definitely ways to get off the list, but it does require proactive action on your part, our legal team can help you.

Do you have a question that’s not addressed above? That’s not a problem, just go to the Tell Us Your Story page and we’ll respond to any questions you may have about working with our legal team.