MA Audit Finds Gaps in Reporting of Physicians Charged with Crimes to Disciplinary Board

A July 2, 2014, Boston Globe article detailed a state investigation that found that Massachusetts courts "routinely fail" to report physicians facing criminal charges to the Board of Registration in Medicine, which manages physician discipline. State law requires that courts report all cases to the medical board for review; however, only two physicians were reported between 2002 and 2012, even though the audit identified 84 active physicians in this time period who should have been reported for felony or serious misdemeanor convictions or "continuations without a finding." Of these cases, 59 were related to use of motor vehicles (e.g., driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, negligently operating a vehicle); however, the audit also uncovered offenses such as assault and battery (nine physicians), fraud (four physicians), drug distribution, making threats, and larceny.