New Hampshire lawmakers are taking a closer look at the state’s Board of Medicine after a recent Boston Globe report that highlighted alleged malpractice complaints against a retired surgeon at Catholic Medical Center.Some lawmakers said that after the report by the Boston Globe Spotlight team, they want to make sure that policies are being followed and concerns are being heard at the Board of Medicine.During Friday’s meeting of the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee, legislators approved a motion to create a subcommittee to oversee the state’s Board of Medicine. “It’s the obligation of the oversight committee on Health and Human Services to keep track of whether we are serving our constituents well,” said state Rep. Jeffrey Salloway, D-Strafford.Salloway put forth the motion to establish the subcommittee, which will gather testimony from the public and officials and will investigate operations of the board.”To ascertain whether they are operating as transparently as other boards of medicine do in other states and whether they are responsive to citizen complaints in regards to malpractice,” he said.The Board of Medicine operates under the umbrella of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, which is working with a Senate subcommittee on a similar review. “And we are going over a number of things, responsibilities between the boards and OPLC, and one of the things we are taking a look at is the hearing process, the adjudication and those kind of things in the state,” said Douglas Oster, general counsel for the OPLC.Officials with the OPLC said they want to make sure boards working under it are being as transparent as they can be under the law.”The OPLC remains committed to promoting transparency of its operations, including enforcement activities, within the confines of the law,” said Lindsey Courtney, executive director of the OPLC, in a written statement. “That is one reason why OPLC spearheaded the effort behind SB 330 (2021) to establish a legislative commission to review office operations, including its administrative support to boards, investigative processes and procedures, and communications with external stakeholders and the public.”Salloway said the subcommittee will not be involved in specific cases. It’s tasked with a general examination. “And to see if there is a need to craft legislation to deal with any of the issues we uncover,” he said.Members of the subcommittee still need to be selected, and it’s unclear when that will take place.
New Hampshire lawmakers are taking a closer look at the state’s Board of Medicine after a recent Boston Globe report that highlighted alleged malpractice complaints against a retired surgeon at Catholic Medical Center.
Some lawmakers said that after the report by the Boston Globe Spotlight team, they want to make sure that policies are being followed and concerns are being heard at the Board of Medicine.
During Friday’s meeting of the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee, legislators approved a motion to create a subcommittee to oversee the state’s Board of Medicine.
“It’s the obligation of the oversight committee on Health and Human Services to keep track of whether we are serving our constituents well,” said state Rep. Jeffrey Salloway, D-Strafford.
Salloway put forth the motion to establish the subcommittee, which will gather testimony from the public and officials and will investigate operations of the board.
“To ascertain whether they are operating as transparently as other boards of medicine do in other states and whether they are responsive to citizen complaints in regards to malpractice,” he said.
The Board of Medicine operates under the umbrella of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, which is working with a Senate subcommittee on a similar review.
“And we are going over a number of things, responsibilities between the boards and OPLC, and one of the things we are taking a look at is the hearing process, the adjudication and those kind of things in the state,” said Douglas Oster, general counsel for the OPLC.
Officials with the OPLC said they want to make sure boards working under it are being as transparent as they can be under the law.
“The OPLC remains committed to promoting transparency of its operations, including enforcement activities, within the confines of the law,” said Lindsey Courtney, executive director of the OPLC, in a written statement. “That is one reason why OPLC spearheaded the effort behind SB 330 (2021) to establish a legislative commission to review office operations, including its administrative support to boards, investigative processes and procedures, and communications with external stakeholders and the public.”
Salloway said the subcommittee will not be involved in specific cases. It’s tasked with a general examination.
“And to see if there is a need to craft legislation to deal with any of the issues we uncover,” he said.
Members of the subcommittee still need to be selected, and it’s unclear when that will take place.