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Board flags rising complaints and long investigation age; vacancies cited as factor
Summary
The Physician Assistant Board reported higher complaint volumes this quarter and an enforcement backlog with an average pending-investigation age of 247 days; members linked aging to staff vacancies and increased public awareness of how to file complaints.
Enforcement staff told the California Physician Assistant Board on May 18 that complaint volume has increased and that investigations at the field level are aging.
Assistant/Enforcement presenter Ms. Serrano reported 174 complaints received in the quarter (and an additional 15 convictions/arrests referenced, a combined figure noted in the presentation). Intake averaged eight days with zero pending at intake; 30 complaints were referred for investigation and 147 investigations were closed. However, 471 complaints remained pending at the desk analyst and 81 were pending at the field level. The average age of pending investigations at the field was reported at 247 days, with 42 cases older than eight months.
Board members and staff discussed causes, with several noting that two vacancies (one enforcement analyst and one office technician) and increased public visibility of the board likely contributed to the backlog. Discipline staff also reported four interim suspension orders during the quarter, 11 cases transmitted to the Office of the Attorney General (38 cases currently pending there, average age 232 days), nine formal accusations filed, and administrative outcomes including probations, revocations, surrenders and citation activity.
Why it matters: Extended investigation times can delay potential disciplinary action and resolution for consumers and licensees. Board members asked staff to track aging metrics and the impact of vacancies and to consider whether additional resources, prioritization, or process changes are needed.
What’s next: The board will continue to monitor enforcement metrics and receive regular activity updates; members recommended factoring vacancy and intake trends into any resource requests.
