Medical Board of California outlines 2023–27 strategic plan updates, including licensing and enforcement changes

At the Medical Board of California's quarterly meeting in Fresno, staff presented an update on the board's 2023'027 strategic plan and described recent changes to licensing, enforcement and outreach.

Leticia Robinson, who presented the report on behalf of board staff, said the strategic plan was prepared with the Department of Consumer Affairs' SOLID planning unit and based on surveys and interviews of board members, staff and the public. "The strategic plan is attached to this report," Robinson said, and she highlighted accomplishments to date in licensing and enforcement.

Robinson described licensing changes intended to speed up applications, including a shift to electronic physician-and-surgeon applications that allow applicants to update contact information and submit subsequent documents online, no longer requiring printed application documents or diplomas, and removing a notary requirement from postgraduate training program forms. On enforcement, Robinson said the board has implemented a complainant liaison unit created by the board's 2023 sunset bill and that staff were hired last month to operate the unit. She said the liaison unit will "respond[ ] to communications from the public about the complaint review and enforcement process, including after a complaint has been referred to a field office, assist with coordinating communications between the complainant and investigators as necessary," and will support outreach and review requests from complainants who believe a complaint closure was made in error.

Robinson also described a budget change proposal for fiscal year 2025'026 seeking higher pay for medical expert reviewers in three specialties: orthopedic surgery, pain medicine and neurological surgery. She said enforcement staff is revising minimum qualifications for expert reviewers and moving quarterly reviewer training to a self-paced online format.

The presentation also noted public affairs and administration steps: the public affairs unit recently filled a key vacancy and is scheduling collaborative meetings, developing new engagement strategies and expanding outreach; board administration updated member procedures on voting expectations for disciplinary actions; and the board continues to participate in the Department of Consumer Affairs Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Robinson said hiring documents were revised to use gender-neutral language and staff now have the option to add preferred pronouns to email signatures.

Board members had no substantive questions during the item; the presentation concluded and the board opened public comment on the strategic plan with no in-room speakers and one remote commenter who voiced general support for diversity training among medical experts.

Looking ahead, Robinson's presentation and the materials attached to the meeting packet provide the board's stated priorities for the next five years and the staff recommendations now under consideration.