The Purpose of State Medical Boards
State medical boards are mainly responsible for protecting patients through proper licensing, regulation of physicians, and (in some jurisdictions) regulation of other health care professionals.
To protect the public from unprofessional conduct and incompetent practice of medicine, the state provides laws and regulations that outline the practice of medicine, and the responsibility of the medical board to regulate that practice. This guide is outlined in a state statute, usually called a medical practice act.
State Medical Board Structure
State medical boards are usually composed of physicians and public members who are appointed by the governor. Some boards are independent in structure; they exercise all licensing and disciplinary powers. Then there are boards that are part of a larger umbrella agency, such as the Department of Health; they exercise varied levels of responsibilities or functions in a purely advisory capacity.
Funding for medical board activities usually come from licensing and registration fees.
Most boards employ an administrative staff which includes: an executive officer, attorneys and investigators, and some legal services provided by the state’s office of the attorney general.
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