[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6483566,"mediaKeyId","5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc","parentId",5681068,"title","Board reports declining reserve months, plans revenue changes and cost savings including special investigator hire","audioSeconds",1720,"startMs",9260000,"endMs",10980000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc&start=9260&end=10980","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc/thumbnail_9260000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6483566/California/Board-reports-declining-reserve-months-plans-revenue-changes-and-cost-savings-including-special-investigator-hire","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483566-2b107397aa6ee979a5c1e81a8a5752b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1776137766&Signature=ii1LyrUzVHXak6BDlgsWbKzJZwfS87y2X~53g748PnMG8Z0HekpsdfaNs2wrH0qRLNAQbnjLhWIVd4CwA8dJaXzK-Q77JdiLfsMblInTaNQKmRezEKkaAzHjCCjs59Fed9o7vdfIxsQNMeWZZJMal2gO54nC2HmlvV6ZVf3X0THll3HzlS7UWOMn8soqPsjyKorCxkSe~YJ43tSgAjneJFqmy5nkQ~XeGAsSfuJl9fXS05d39tOKrhCjCVRZao4jP0YdM~hECoPlvrlEmlkm3Lpmm92pypgYTd9Bqw0~SzcqY5aNpCRVgHHSOIy0imatKV58r5pR4nQFm0OTnnLcHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Respiratory Care Board of California","date","2025-08-26T16:54:58Z","article","The Osteopathic Medical Board of California reviewed year‑end budget projections Aug. 14 and discussed steps the agency says will stabilize its fund over coming years.

DCA budget analyst Kayla Van Lint summarized the board’s fund condition and said the board closed fiscal year 2024–25 with about $4.61 million in reserve — roughly 11.9 months of operating funds — after $3.9 million in receipts and $4.34 million in expenditures. The board’s beginning base budget for the prior year was listed at about $4.41 million. Van Lint said the department uses a conservative 3% ongoing growth factor for personnel and retirement costs when modeling out‑year expenditures and cautioned that any new legislation or unanticipated events could create additional cost pressures.

Executive Director Erica Calderon outlined steps staff say will reduce costs and increase revenue. The board has used state Division of Investigation (DFI) sworn investigators to handle formal investigations and reported a dramatic increase in DFI costs—about $270,000 in FY 2021–22 rising to roughly $491,000 in FY 2024–25. OMBC has hired a special investigator with an anticipated start date Sept. 8, 2025; staff estimate in‑house handling of approximately 60% of formal field investigations could save a projected minimum of $150,000 per year versus outsourcing to DFI on comparable cases. Calderon said cases requiring criminal filings or search warrants would still be referred to DFI.

Calderon also told the board staff expects new rules adopted this year (continuing medical education site‑and‑find regulations) to produce citation revenue once the rules take effect Oct. 1, 2025; the board projects issuing about 68 citations annually at an average fine of $1,500, or roughly $120,000 in additional annual revenue. Another regulatory change — a fee tied to petitions, applications and a retired license status — is projected in staff materials to yield about $424,000 annually when implemented. Combined with the investigator savings, OMBC projects approximately $694,000 in recurring revenue and savings.

Board members and DCA staff discussed the mechanics of travel and hiring restraints imposed by recent executive orders and budget guidance. DCA noted travel outside California is restricted to mission‑critical needs and must be requested eight weeks in advance for state approval. The board’s exec team also discussed a retention‑schedule cleanup (a long‑underway ‘‘purge’’ of decades of unneeded records, now possible because a previously co‑located agency moved out) and clarified that some complaint types (including quality‑of‑care no‑violation closures) will be retained longer to permit reopening if new evidence appears.

Why it matters: The board’s fund stability and the pace of complaint investigations affect enforcement timeliness and public protection. Hiring an in‑house investigator and adopting regulatory citations (CME audits and petition/retired‑status fees) are measures the board put forward to reduce external costs and raise recurring revenue.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Osteopathic Medical Board of California- Board Meeting- August 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Osteopathic Medical Board of California told members Aug. 14 that a mix of cost‑cutting and new revenue could shore up a fund that staff say is projected to hold about 11.9 months of reserves after fiscal 2024–25.","taxTitle","Respiratory Care Board of California, Boards and Commissions, Executive, California","taxId",76751,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6483571,"Board hears petition from James M. Lally on early probation termination after workplace misconduct findings",2174,2766000,4940000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc&start=2766&end=4940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc/thumbnail_2766000.jpg","/articles/6483571/California/Board-hears-petition-from-James-M-Lally-on-early-probation-termination-after-workplace-misconduct-findings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483571-4cc8cfb09bc7d237063960e04f78973e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776137766&Signature=CEov7jIbgoKtOqf-5SdLfwxC0MxgvVfvKYTKw3SZB1biDj0DxWEKMl1-mQ1goDuh53FTWeLmAaE6Td9pv7Tao9tEL198ntVht7XVkSz2zBaYjVWmEDnbfojviwkPp43n1LsXN~-rd2TAscmVQ1z0sR0Ri6frU3Yn1Y32Q7Dysvl6pdexzRp7bqFNdn~XCCaPrV9fsWl28yU0IFX0hV41UsKkOAqMwvGd1uyRq2WYhV~YJRclmVobGdUegmmTknKhFeKQ7K-mHxpP3azrHAYKgsAA0vKO4TtRNAqKOxdkelzWCiYvLNoBfpaVBHO8dP-6ZsFUmivStbcEaaoLi~ptOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Osteopathic Medical Board of California held a second petition hearing Aug. 14 for James M. Lally, D.O., who asked that his three‑year probation, entered under a stipulated settlement adopted July 31, 2023, be terminated early.

Deputy Attorney General Maryam Ahmad summarized the underlying allegations in the accusation that led to the disciplinary order: multiple allegations from residents and others at Chino Valley Medical Center that Lally had engaged in sexualized comments and inappropriate touching, created a hostile work environment, discriminated against residents based on gender and national origin, and used his board‑affiliated status to intimidate complainants. Ahmad said the allegations were serious and the existing probation term reflected a lenient penalty given their gravity.

Lally testified under oath and acknowledged the allegations but said he had reflected, completed required education (ethics/professionalism course and civility and communication training) and continuing medical education, stepped away from the hospital environment, and taken steps he described as rehabilitative. He said he had changed his leadership style, volunteered in community clinics, and remained engaged in physician education.

Board member questioning probed both the facts in the accusation and Lally’s rehabilitation efforts. Ahmad emphasized the public‑protection standard and noted that a petitioner must accept responsibility and present affirmative evidence of rehabilitation. She argued the board should weigh the allegations’ severity against public safety and kept Lally on probation for an additional year would better protect patients and trainees. Lally said he has been ‘‘under a microscope’’ and intends to continue the changes he described.

The board received no rebuttal evidence. As with the earlier hearing, the panel took the matter under submission, told Lally the board would deliberate in closed session, and said it would deliver a written decision.

Why it matters: The accusation against Lally alleges a pattern of workplace misconduct that the AG said affected residents’ training and patient care. The board’s written determination on the petition will decide whether his probation ends early or remains in force to protect trainees and patients.","James M. Lally, D.O., testified Aug. 14 before the Osteopathic Medical Board of California seeking early termination of a three‑year probation imposed after a stipulated settlement; the board heard detailed allegations and evidence and will issue a written decision after closed‑session deliberations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6483575,"Osteopathic board hears petition from Dr. Stephen Western seeking early end to probation",2311,467000,2778000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc&start=467&end=2778","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc/thumbnail_467000.jpg","/articles/6483575/California/Osteopathic-board-hears-petition-from-Dr-Stephen-Western-seeking-early-end-to-probation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483575-bb203d58860bb3c415b79a44b624357e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776137766&Signature=mUKOPY0VTnxm8gRL0wLz~IwJGlLRipgjAZ6aOWA5fXDteAc3KfloEJR3cnszA0yzXIvKJtarNq-Ku0ySzMiSyE1m8xY-PXLC1IDocF07ewajXSFdatmCMTouoQfH1MWa7CqfTSU052U-kboyvnYWzwRE5r~KjtpyGjDSAz8~6ZOcMNCzdqdjWNYh8PDt14-gNLzCRUoKBuC6nM61HV-Rrm4G~zMCobJ7cJ6CT0mKER8r0V6lQ~Lpp89RMfWQPvfSpaAUHhRTv59PRNfTnsB-YfTw9WiIu7egwH428VtEC5LAJtGU0Z4b2m2qQ38cfy~ydnGtKD1lPsk4waHoF~kQ0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Osteopathic Medical Board of California heard sworn testimony Aug. 14 from Dr. Stephen Duane Western as he asked the board to shorten a four‑year probation ordered in October 2022.

Administrative Law Judge Juliet Cox opened the hearing, and Deputy Attorney General Christopher Young presented the prosecution’s overview and the seven exhibits the board would consider, including Western’s petition with supporting letters and the board’s disciplinary order that imposed probation effective Oct. 10, 2022. Young told the board the discipline was based on a stipulated settlement and that, except for one narrow matter about Percocet prescriptions noted in paragraph 9 of the order, the factual allegations in the accusation were deemed admitted by Western.

Western then testified under oath, saying he complied with probation conditions, completed the required continuing medical education and other programs, and no longer practices in the ways that led to the discipline. He acknowledged aspects of the order that described his conduct — including treating a former romantic partner and record‑keeping and prescribing shortcomings — and told the board he accepts the findings and ‘‘will never do that again.’’ He said he now uses an electronic health record for patient notes and would refer complex psychiatric issues to psychiatrists rather than treat them himself.

Young and board counsel questioned Western about details in his narrative submission that appeared inconsistent with facts in the stipulation — for example, the timing of treatment provided to the patient now referred to as ‘‘patient A’’ — and pressed him about whether he continued to practice psychiatry on that patient. Western acknowledged that his recordkeeping was deficient and that some treatments were negligent; he testified he no longer provides that type of care.

The board admitted seven exhibits into the record, including the disciplinary order and probation monitoring documents. Young cited legal precedent (Hausman v. Board of Medical Examiners, 194 Cal.App.2d 308, p. 316) as guiding the board’s burden of proof when evaluating petitions for early termination: the petitioner must demonstrate rehabilitation by clear and convincing evidence. Board members asked brief questions and did not immediately announce any vote; Judge Cox told Western the board would deliberate in closed session and send a written decision later.

No formal action was announced before the board recessed to closed session.

Why it matters: petition hearings give the board an opportunity to weigh rehabilitation evidence against public‑protection concerns. The board’s written decision will determine whether Western’s probation is reduced and — if granted — when his conditions will formally end.","At its Aug. 14 meeting in Vallejo, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California heard testimony and documentary evidence in a petition from Dr. Stephen D. Western asking the board to terminate a four‑year probation early. The board admitted seven exhibits and took testimony; members will deliberate in closed session and issue a written decision.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6483562,"Board adopts longer retention for some closed complaints, hires special investigator to speed investigations",4135,11371000,15506000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc&start=11371&end=15506","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681068-55821821bba93997e52d895f40d58bbc/thumbnail_11371000.jpg","/articles/6483562/California/Board-adopts-longer-retention-for-some-closed-complaints-hires-special-investigator-to-speed-investigations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483562-a7ced3691cbd71d438d408bc1c8d5fd1/orig.mp4?Expires=1776137766&Signature=IEgypCcLd2b-0yP3XWX-4-1w7hGjKEZwKCJPcWZKr6kDRCVwAI5ELaud7fw4nMQTds7nRqG5NZfXTjymVPMHHi1TfNpz2-yJBttDnKYTGMrdC9JAp-GXff5p-37ttrlPwPg~UoyUsB-7at0nKvc8R5TXeIXfPQ6t32UqzD0eWcXRpmmD9u-ONynEa1qy8b0bJ9jKfM0O4P8lFZud2eZ1U-Uh65iX3T~TZ-qnaszpQyEs83q7sP56ve5UdorUDQ8AvkeC07FxQ0IMfrD4lnDxeAb93fJn5cM-3EBzcHY9b52MTJQtZznhm3KCpJhUfcU0Lxd6DVtjIht3mS0r9q8eJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Osteopathic Medical Board reported progress and changes in enforcement and probation work at its Aug. 14 meeting in Vallejo.

Enforcement manager Christy Liberanto presented annual performance measures showing a 26% increase in complaints and arrest/conviction notices received year‑over‑year, but improvements in several operational metrics. Analysts are opening enforcement files more quickly (average five days to initiate receipt acknowledgment) and the board’s cycle time for investigations not referred to the Attorney General’s Office is averaging about 189 days — well under the board’s 360‑day target. Cases that are transmitted to the Attorney General’s Office still averaged 955 days; Liberanto noted the board has less direct control over that timeline because it depends on the AG, respondents’ counsel and the Office of Administrative Hearings.

In other enforcement news, Executive Director Erica Calderon said the board has offered a special investigator position and expected the hire (Yvonne Nattad) to start Sept. 8, 2025. Calderon and staff told the board the position will allow OMBC to handle an estimated 60% of formal field investigations in‑house rather than rely on DFI’s sworn investigators; OMBC projected a minimum annual savings of approximately $150,000 as a result. Staff clarified the board will still use DFI for cases requiring criminal filings, search warrants, or sworn investigative authority.

Calderon described a long‑running records‑management “purge” effort. When OMBC shared space with another board years ago, licensing and enforcement files were co‑located and purging was deferred. With that agency relocated, OMBC staff said they have organized and updated the retention schedule and are now safely removing obsolete materials. As a result, the board revised retention rules for some complaint types: in particular, quality‑of‑care complaints involving patient death now will be retained for five years (rather than one year) to allow reopening if new evidence emerges. Staff said other non‑jurisdictional closures retain shorter retention periods.

Probation monitor Ralph Correa reported active oversight of 38 licensees on probation, quarterly monitoring and that most probationers were in compliance. Two licensees were in cease‑practice status; one petition for revocation had been submitted. Correa said he receives timely biological testing data and retains monitoring records in each probation file.

Why it matters: The special investigator hire and the retention‑schedule changes are intended to speed complaint resolution while preserving the ability to reopen serious cases if new evidence arises.","The board reported enforcement improvements and changes Aug. 14: performance measures showed decreased investigation cycle times, enforcement staff announced new special investigator hire to handle cases in‑house, and retention schedule revisions extend the hold period for some quality‑of‑care complaints involving patient death to five years.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reports declining reserve months, plans revenue changes and cost savings including special investigator hire

Board hears petition from James M. Lally on early probation termination after workplace misconduct findings

Osteopathic board hears petition from Dr. Stephen Western seeking early end to probation

Board adopts longer retention for some closed complaints, hires special investigator to speed investigations