Maryland Board of Physician's Practitioner Profile System

Pursuant to §14.411.1, the Maryland Board of Physician's Practitioner Profile System is intended as a resource for consumers and others seeking information about the education, training and professional backgrounds of those practitioners licensed by the Board.

The Board currently licenses the following health occupations:Physicians, Physician Assistants, Radiographers, Radiation Therapists, Nuclear Medicine Technologists, Radiologist Assistants, Respiratory Care Practitioners, Polysomnographic Technologists, Athletic Trainers, Perfusionists and Naturopathic Doctors. The Board also regulates a small number of psychiatrist assistants. Commercial use of this information is not appropriate.

The Board does not independently verify information that is self-reported by the practitioners. Intentionally providing false or misleading information could subject the licensee to disciplinary action.

The following information is provided to the Licensee Information pages from the records of the Maryland Board of Physicians:
Licensee name;
License number;
Date license issued;
License Expiration date;
Accepts Medicaid (yes or no);

Licensure Status: Active, Inactive, Expired, Probation, Surrendered, Suspension, Revoked;

The name of any medical school that the licensee attended and the date on which the licensee graduated from the school;

A description of any internship and residency training;

A summary of charges filed against the licensee, including a copy of the charging document and a description of any disciplinary action taken by the Maryland Board of Physicians within the most recent 10–year period that includes a copy of the public order.

Pending Charges: The public should be aware that a charge constitutes only the Board's preliminary vote that there is probable cause that a violation of the Medical Practice Act has occurred. The charge has not yet been tested in the hearing process. In the hearing process, the licensee will have a chance to introduce his or her own evidence and to argue that a violation did not occur. Only after the hearing process is complete will there be a final decision as to whether a violation has occurred.

The following information is provided to the Maryland Board by licensees:

Address of the primary practice setting if applicable, and public address.

Board certifications: The Board recognizes only certifications conferred by organizations approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties, American Osteopathic Association, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Self-designated Practice Area: This may or may not be the same as the licensee's board certification. Area of practice is intended to state the licensee's current activities.

Maintains Medical Malpractice Insurance (yes/no)

The number of Medical Malpractice final court judgments and arbitration awards against the licensee within the most recent 10-year period.

Medical licenses issued by another state

Maryland hospital privileges

The following information, which is required public information under Maryland law, is provided to the Maryland Board by courts:

A description of a conviction or entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the licensee for a crime involving moral turpitude reported to the Board.

The following information, which is required public information under Maryland law, is provided to the Maryland Board by the Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Practitioner Databank:

A description in summary form of any final disciplinary action taken by a licensing board in any other state or jurisdiction against the licensee within the most recent 10–year period.

Malpractice/Professional Liability Insurance Payment Disclaimer

The Board must include notification that a person may contact the Board by telephone, electronic mail, or written request to find out whether the number of medical malpractice settlements involving a particular licensee totals three or more with a settlement amount of $150,000 or greater within the most recent 5–year period as reported to the Board. Settlement information will only appear on an individual's profile if it meets a certain criteria (3 or more settlements of $150,000 or greater within the past 5 years).

The Board encourages the public to consider malpractice information in context and in combination with other information about the licensee's education, training and professional experience.

When considering malpractice data, please keep in mind:

The existence of a payment does not necessarily mean that negligence has occurred, or that care was substandard. Nor is a payment necessarily evidence of incompetence, misconduct or an admission of wrongdoing on the part of the licensee.
It often takes years for a malpractice claim to move through the legal and/or liability insurance systems. The incident that resulted in a payment may have taken place years before the payment was made.
Payment histories vary by area of practice. Some licensees may have a higher-than-average incidence of payments because they specialize in treating patients who are at a high risk for problems.
Professional liability insurance companies sometimes settle cases because it is less costly to make a monetary settlement than it is to defend a case in court. Many times, such cases are settled without a finding of fault or admission of negligence by the licensee.

Relevant Law

§14–411.1.

(a) In this section, "health maintenance organization" has the meaning stated in § 19-701 of the Health - General Article.

(b) The Board shall create and maintain a public individual profile on each licensee that includes the following information:

(1) A summary of charges filed against the licensee, including a copy of the charging document, until a disciplinary panel has taken action under § 14–404 of this subtitle based on the charges or has rescinded the charges.

(2) A description of any disciplinary action taken by the Board or a disciplinary panel against the licensee within the most recent 10–year period that includes a copy of the public order;

(3) A description in summary form of any final disciplinary action taken by a licensing board in any other state or jurisdiction against the licensee within the most recent 10–year period;

(4) The number of medical malpractice final court judgments and arbitration awards against the licensee within the most recent 10–year period for which all appeals have been exhausted as reported to the Board;

(5) A description of a conviction or entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere by the licensee for a crime involving moral turpitude reported to the Board under § 14–416 of this subtitle; and

(6) As reported to the Board by the licensee, education and practice information about the licensee including:

(i) The name of any medical school that the licensee attended and the date on which the licensee graduated from the school;

(ii) A description of any internship and residency training;

(iii) A description of any specialty board certification by a recognized board of the American Board of Medical Specialties, American Osteopathic Association, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Physicians of Canada;

(iv) The name of any hospital where the licensee has medical privileges;

(v) The location of the licensee's primary practice setting; and

(vi) Whether the licensee participates in the Maryland Medical Assistance Program; and

(vii) Whether the licensee maintains medical professional liability insurance.

(1) Provide appropriate and accessible Internet links from the Board's Internet site:

(i) To the extent available, to the appropriate portion of the Internet site of each health maintenance organization licensed in this State which will allow the public to ascertain the names of the physicians affiliated with the health maintenance organization; and

(ii) To the appropriate portion of the Internet site of the American Medical Association;

(2) Include a statement on each licensee's profile of information to be taken into consideration by a consumer when viewing a licensee's profile, including factors to consider when evaluating a licensee's malpractice data, and a disclaimer stating that a charging document does not indicate a final finding of guilt by a disciplinary panel; and

(3) Provide on the Board's Internet site:

(i) Notification that a person may contact the Board by telephone, electronic mail, or written request to find out whether the number of medical malpractice settlements involving a particular licensee totals three or more with a settlement amount of $150,000 or greater within the most recent 5–year period as reported to the Board; and

(ii) A telephone number, electronic mail address, and physical address through which a person may contact the Board to request the information required to be provided under item (i) of this item.

(d) The Board:

(1) On receipt of a written request for a licensee's profile from any person, shall forward a written copy of the profile to the person;

(2) Shall maintain a website that serves as a single point of entry where all practitioner profile information is available to the public on the Internet; and

(3) On receipt of a verbal, electronic, or written request in accordance with subsection (c)(3) of this section, shall provide the information within 2 business days of the request.

(e) The Board shall provide a mechanism for the notification and prompt correction of any factual inaccuracies in a licensee's profile.

(f) The Board shall include information relating to charges filed against a licensee by a disciplinary panel and any final disciplinary action taken by a disciplinary panel against a licensee in the licensee's profile within 10 days after the charges are filed or the action becomes final.

(g) This section does not limit the Board's authority to disclose information as required under § 14-411 of this subtitle.