Georgia Composite Medical Board failed to progress on some audit findings | Georgia

(The Center Square) — While the Georgia Composite Medical Board has addressed some shortcomings exposed in a November 2020 audit, the company has now not improved on others, together with appearing obligatory background tests for common doctor licensure candidates.

The company has “not formally implemented recommended policies, made changes to investigative forms, or begun conducting statutorily required background checks for general physician licensure applicants,” in accordance to a brand new discovering from the Georgia Department of Audits & Accounts. The findings are incorporated in a follow-up to the sooner audit.

“These actions are critical to furthering GCMB’s mission to protect the public and ensuring that unsafe physicians are not allowed to practice medicine,” the audit discovered.

Last 12 months, an research by way of The Center Square printed the GCMB mechanically dismisses an vast majority of the lawsuits it receives, however unreliable information made it difficult to say exactly what number of instances it closes with out taking motion. That led to a decision from the pinnacle of the Medical Association of Georgia urging state lawmakers to correctly fund the GCMB, pronouncing the underfunding of the company doesn’t receive advantages any person within the state.

“However, GCMB still lacks a deliberate decision point in the investigation process for determining and documenting whether a violation has occurred, which can inhibit the board’s ability to monitor and ensure consistent disciplinary decisions,” in accordance to the audit.

Additionally, the audit notes state lawmakers have now not addressed GCMB’s rate earnings retention suggestions, which might impede GCMB from additional enforcing suggestions. However, state lawmakers allotted further investment for personnel positions within the fiscal 2024 finances, which officers mentioned might lend a hand deal with the audit findings.

In the finances, state lawmakers incorporated an extra $431,836 “for personnel to support increased licensure application volume.” In December, the GCMB’s govt director informed The Center Square the company may use “additional resources” to “help in meeting [its] strategic plan’s objectives sooner than we are currently projecting,” however didn’t request further investment in step with the director of the state’s Office of Planning and Budget’s steerage asking state businesses to stay their budgets flat for this 12 months’s finances procedure.

In a reaction incorporated within the audit, GCMB “noted that the disruption caused by the death of its previous executive director and the subsequent departure of several key management staff greatly hindered the Board’s response to address many of the audit’s initial recommendations.”

One trade the GCMB mentioned it made after the preliminary audit is to permit complainants to touch the board immediately for updates about an investigation. Previously, the board best notified complainants when an investigation didn’t lead to disciplinary motion.

In 2020, auditors really helpful that GCMB identify transparent consumption insurance policies for assessing lawsuits and assigning a concern stage based totally on case kind, danger stage or each. However, the GCMB has now not totally acted on the advice.

“To better ensure sufficient complaint investigations, GCMB has drafted an intake policy and case review checklist and established timeliness standards, though these initiatives have not been officially implemented and adopted in the policy manual,” the audit concluded. “GCMB noted that staff find it challenging to keep timeliness standards due to the number of open investigations.”