Filing Complaints Against Palm Beach County Healthcare Providers

The doctor-patient relationship is supposed to be sacred. Doctors are duty-bound to do no harm and treat their patients to the absolute best of their abilities, meaning they should not commit medical malpractice.

Unfortunately, as countless Palm Beach County residents have found out over the years, healthcare providers do not always take these obligations seriously. And the result is often serious injuries, misdiagnoses, prolonged illnesses, and even death.

The good news it that there are ways to file complaints against healthcare providers in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, and all of Palm Beach County.

The Florida Health Care Complaint Portal

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) provides a way to file complaints against healthcare providers online. According to DOH, here is what happens to your complaint after you file it:

  • Officials review it for possible violations of the law.
  • If they believe the listed healthcare providers violated the law, they refer the complaint to the Prosecution Services Unit.
  • The Prosecution Services Unit looks for probable cause and refers the case to the board for disciplinary action if they find probable cause.
  • The case becomes public ten days after the administrative complaint is filed.

From there, the case is further investigated and possible disciplinary action is taken against the Palm Beach County healthcare providers you listed in your complaint.

Keep in mind that, because of the confidential nature of the doctor-patient relationship, the investigation of your complaint might require you to release your medical records.

Report Them to the Florida Board of Medicine

The Florida Board of Medicine, which issues licenses to practice to doctors in Palm Beach County and all of Florida, accepts complaints against licensees.

To file a complaint against a Boca Raton or Boynton Beach healthcare provider, call the board at 1-888-419-3456 and request a Complaint Form with the Authorization for Release of Patient Records. The form will have an address on it, and you should send the completed form to that address.

The board will review the complaint and decide whether disciplinary action is necessary.

File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

The above ways to file complaints against healthcare providers in Palm Beach County might be satisfying if they result in disciplinary action for the doctor or other provider who harmed you. But they won’t get you any compensation to help you deal with the aftermath of what happened to you.

That is why the state of Florida allows people who have been harmed by medical negligence to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. You will have to demonstrate that the doctor or other healthcare provider acted negligently and that negligence resulted in your harm. And you will have to know how much compensation your injuries and damages are worth.

Here to Help

If a Palm Beach County healthcare provider has harmed you in any way, your voice deserves to be heard. And you may deserve compensation.

Serving Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, and all of Palm Beach County, the Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo is here to help. Give us a call at 561-659-6366 or fill out our online contact form for more information.