Vermont Statutes Title 26 Sec. 1370
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 26 Sec. 1370
- Board: means the Board of Medical Practice established under section 1351 of this title. See
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Licensee: includes any individual licensed or certified by the Board. See
- Members: means members of the Board. See
- Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
§ 1370. Complaints; investigative committee
(a)(1) Any individual, organization, or public officer may submit a written complaint to the Board alleging that any individual practicing medicine in the State committed unprofessional conduct or that an individual practiced without being licensed in violation of section 1314 of this chapter. The complaint shall specify the grounds on which the allegations of unprofessional conduct are based.
(2) A person or organization shall not be liable in a civil action for damages resulting from the good faith reporting of information to the Board about alleged incompetent, unprofessional, or unlawful conduct of a licensee.
(b)(1) The Board shall initiate an investigation of the individual complained against whenever a complaint is received. The Board may also act on its own initiative without having received a complaint.
(2) The Executive Director shall designate three or more members, including at least one public member, to serve as an investigative committee to investigate and report to the Board its findings regarding the complaint and whether an evidentiary hearing is warranted. If there is an insufficient number of members to investigate a complaint by reason of disqualification, resignation, vacancy, or necessary absence, the Commissioner of Health may, at the request of the Board, appoint ad hoc members to serve on the investigative committee for that matter only.
(3) If the investigative committee determines that an evidentiary hearing is warranted, the Executive Director shall prepare a specification of the charge or charges of unprofessional conduct made against the individual licensed by the Board, a copy of which shall be served upon the subject of the charge or charges, together with the notice of hearing set forth in subsection 1372(b) of this chapter. (Added 2019, No. 126 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)