After heated public comment, Medical Board directs staff to study complaint‑disclosure practices and timing

The Medical Board of California on its quarterly meeting considered a legislative proposal from board member TJ Watkins to notify the public on physician profile pages when a complaint reaches the Health Quality Investigation Unit (HQIU). After public testimony both supporting and opposing the idea, the board voted unanimously to direct staff to research how the contractor state licensing board and other jurisdictions implement complaint disclosures and to analyze at what point in the enforcement process a public notice might be appropriate.

Watkins framed the proposal as a public‑safety measure. “Can we agree that 3 years to wait to see anything about a doctor that is being investigated is too long?” he asked during his presentation, describing cases where he said patients discovered only years later that a physician had been under investigation. Watkins said his written proposal would post a notice on a physician’s profile once the case reached HQIU, providing “correct, accurate,…