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