Enforcement team reports steady complaint volume; AG referrals remain lengthy

Carol Phelps, manager of the board’s enforcement unit, briefed members on investigator training, expert consultant training for PT expert reviewers, and enforcement statistics for FY 23‑24.

Phelps said the unit convened Division of Investigation (DFI) investigators and provided sample patient records and expert report templates to improve evidence quality. She reported that the enforcement program initiated 512 new complaints during the fiscal year, completed 501 desk investigations, issued 44 citations, referred 58 cases to the Attorney General’s office and closed 41 AG referrals.

Phelps summarized case‑age performance metrics: the average age for cases that did not result in AG referral was 166 days (under the 180‑day target); AG‑referred cases took much longer—quarterly averages ranged into multiple hundreds of days and the annual average for AG‑finalized cases was reported in the 700s of days—reflecting the complexity of formal discipline and multi‑party timelines.

Monte Martin, the probation compliance monitor, reported a high of 74 licensees on probation during FY 23‑24, with 53 active in‑state probationers and 19% enrolled in the board’s substance‑abuse program. Martin said nine instances of noncompliance occurred in the quarter and that three licensees were moving toward revocation for repeated noncompliance.

Board members asked for continued training and data reporting to manage case age and workload; enforcement staff said they will continue to recruit analysts and deliver regular expert training to support investigations and prosecutions.