Georgia Composite Medical Board newsletter [June 2011]

Georgia Composite Medical Board Newsletter

Volume 2011, No. 3

June 2011

Message from the Chair:

Alexander S. Gross, MD

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Did you remember to renew your license? Once your license expires, you must stop working--or face the possibility of a fine and disciplinary sanction for practicing without a license. Renewing as soon as you are eligible to do so (60 days prior to license expiration date) can save you weeks of lost income and hundreds of dollars in fines and additional fees, as well as the comfort of knowing you don't have to worry about renewing again for another two years. Mark your calendar now to renew your license!
Inside this issue:
White elected Chair, page 2
New legislation, page 3
New PHP Rules, page 4
PA news, page 5
Office-based surgery, page 6
Disciplinary actions, pp 7-8

Dr. Alexander Gross, Board Chairperson from July 2010 to June 2011, is Boardcertified in both internal medicine and dermatology. He was appointed to the Board by Governor Sonny Perdue in April 2008.
It is hard to believe that my year as Chairperson of the Georgia Composite Medical Board has come to an end. Your Board works diligently to fulfill its mandate to ensure quality health care for all Georgians by licensing and providing oversight of medical providers. From July 2010 to June 2011, we issued 2,920 new licenses (including 1,710 physician licenses), reviewed 2,165 complaints, and conducted 252 investigative interviews. I am extremely proud of the Board's ability to fairly and expediently discharge its duties, given our large monthly work volume.
I am pleased to report on the progress of several new policies and programs on which the Board has been working.
We recently completed writing Rules for the Professional Wellness Program, which will provide assistance to medical professionals dealing with substance abuse, psychological problems, and personal boundary issues. Compared to states in which initial identification of practitioners with these issues leads to automatic

sanction, the states that employ wellness programs service three times as many practitioners in need. Instead of potentially endangering patients while hiding in the shadows, health care providers needing treatment of their own will have the opportunity to be monitored confidentially by professionals who will determine who is and is not safe to practice. We anticipate our program will go into effect during our next session.
During the 2009/2010 legislative session, the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate each passed resolutions asking the Board to create guidelines for office based anesthesia and surgery. The writing of these guidelines was completed in June, and we anticipate publishing them at the end of the summer. I would like to personally thank the Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists for its help and guidance.
The Board also promoted the passage of Senate Bill 36, which authorized the creation of a Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) for Georgia. The program will help us identify and discipline licensees who overprescribe narcotics in "pill mills" which have become a large problem in Georgia. Oversight of the PMP will be a function of the Pharmacy Board, and we are looking forward to working together to support the efforts of law enforcement to curtail illegal drug trafficking in our state.
Finally, I would like to thank my fellow Board members and our dedicated staff for their hard work and support during the past year. It is an honor and a pleasure to work with this conscientious group. I am proud to pass the gavel to Dr. Charles White, who will serve as the Board's chairperson during the next year and will undoubtedly provide excellent leadership. The Board exists to serve the citizen of Georgia, and to that end, we continue to work for you.

VOLUME 2011, NO. 3

PAGE 2

Board Elects Charles L. White, DO as New Chair for 2011-2012 Term
- Dr. Alexander S. Gross completes accomplishment-filled term; Governor Deal appoints John S. Antalis, MD to Board

UPCOMING MEETINGS JUNE 30, 2011
AUGUST 4-5, 2011 SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Dr. Charles White, incoming Chairperson, is a Boardcertified family practice physician recognized for his charitable work in Cleveland, Georgia.
On June 2, 2011, the Georgia Medical Board (GCMB) elected Vice-Chairperson Charles O. White, DO to chair the Board for the July 2011 June 2012 term. Dr. White, a Board-certified family practice physician who practices in Cleveland, was first appointed to the Board in May 2007 by Governor Sonny Perdue. He has been licensed to practice medicine in Georgia since 1984.
Over the course of his four years of service on the Board, Dr. White has served on

several committees and has chaired the Acupuncture and Impairment Advisory Committees. He was a 2010 recipient of the Falcons Football Club's Community Quarterback Award for his community service as a volunteer physician for the Caring Hands Health Clinic.
Dr. John Antalis appointed to Board
Dr. John Antalis being sworn in by Board Chair Dr. Alexander Gross and Executive Director LaSharn Hughes
Governor Nathan Deal appointed John S. Antalis, MD to the Board in February 2011. Dr. Antalis has practiced as a family physician in Dalton for 25 years, and has served on the Whitfield

County Board of Health since 1992. He also served as president of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians, as well as the Medical Association of Georgia. The author of several journal articles, Dr. Antalis was named Family Physician of the Year in 1995.
Fiscal Year 2011 term marked by significant accomplishments
As Dr. Alexander Gross transfers the Board's gavel to Dr. White, he will also hand over the Chair of a Board that achieved a number of significant goals during the 2010-2011 term. Under Dr. Gross's leadership, the Board adopted Rules to implement a Professional Wellness Program that was authorized by the Georgia General Assembly in 2010, wrote guidelines for office-based anesthesia and surgery,
(Continued on page 3)

Updating your contact information could save you more than 60 days and thousands of dollars in lost income, fines, and additional fees

Did you know? The Medical Board has a speakers bureau
Each year, the Medical Board sends staff members and Board members to speak to outside organizations on a broad range of topics, including "Protecting Your License," "Sexual Misconduct," "Drug Diversion/ Pill Mills," "Prescribing," and many others. In the past few months, Board representatives spoke to audiences at the Mercer University School of Medicine, the Georgia Pain Initiative, the Georgia Association of Medical Staff Services, the Medical College of Georgia, the Georgia Osteopathic Medical Association, and several other organizations.
If you would like a speaker from the Georgia Medical Board at your upcoming meeting, please contact Bob Jeffery at 404-6576492 or at rjeffery@dch.ga.gov.
The Medical Board needs you!

Sixty days before your license expires, the Board sends a courtesy reminder to your address of record. Each month, many of these notices are returned because the licensee's address has changed.
Of the nearly 2,000 physician licenses that lapsed due to nonrenewal between January 2008 and December 2009, almost 7 percent were subsequently reinstated. Renewing a physician

license costs $230 for two years and typically takes less than 15 minutes to complete. Reinstating a physician license is a much more costly undertaking, both in time and money, with an application fee of $500 and often taking two months or more to complete. When taking the lost income into account, inadvertently allowing a license to lapse could cost a physician $20,000 or more. Add to that the cost of a fine and reprimand if the licen-

see practices medicine without a license, and it is easy to see that it pays to keep your contact information current.
You can view and update your license online anytime at the Board's website, and if you are not online, you can fax your update to 404-656-9723. The few minutes you spend keeping the Board updated with your contact information could save you thousands of dollars down the road.

If you want to help regulate your profession by becoming a physician peer reviewer, please send us a current CV and letter describing your practice, specialty, and certifications. We especially need specialists in internal medicine, IM with pain focus, and pain management. You must have an unrestricted license to practice in Georgia.

VOLUME 2011, NO. 3

PAGE 3

2011 Session Results in Significant Legislation for Georgia Medical Board, Licensees, and Patients

The 2011 session saw a number of significant bills introduced and passed. Many of the bills that were passed and became law could affect your practice.
HB 147 amended the Patient Right to Know Act of 2001 to include information in the physician profile about whether or not the physician has malpractice insurance. The bill, signed by Governor Deal on May 11, requires a physician to answer "yes" or "no" to a question asking if he/she carries any medical malpractice insurance. The bill also requires the physician and office staff to answer a patient's question as to whether or not the physician has malpractice insurance.
HB 303 revised provisions regarding the delegation of authority to a physician assistant by a physician, and allowed physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to sign certain documents such as physical examination

forms. The bill also repealed the requirement for a supervising physician to personally see any patient who had received medical services from a physician assistant more than twice during the preceding 12 months.
SB 36 created a prescription monitoring program to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances, and required dispensers to submit certain information regarding the dispensing of Schedule II-V controlled substances.
SB 100 reduced the continuing education requirements for clinical perfusionists from at least 40 hours biennially to 30 hours biennially, repealed the requirement of reexamination of applicants seeking reinstatement of their clinical perfusionist licenses, and revised the definition of perfusion.

Gross passes chair, gavel to White (continued from page 2)

During Dr. Gross's term, the Board proposed an
innovative answer to the call for budget
reductions-- sharing its space and staff
with another agency to capture $250,000 in
cost efficiencies.

worked for the passage of a prescription monitoring program to combat pill mills, and rewrote Rules for several professions to incorporate legislated changes to the Medical Practice Act.
During Dr. Gross's term, the Board also responded to the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget's call for greater cost effectiveness and more budgetary reductions with an

innovative approach of sharing administrative resources with another State agency, the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce. The Medical Board's suggestion was incorporated into Governor Nathan Deal's FY 2012 budget recommendation, and resulted in the savings of nearly $250,000 to the people of Georgia.

Are You a Dispensing Physician?

State law allows physicians to dispense pharmaceuticals (in addition to samples) from their offices only after notifying the Georgia Composite Medical Board in writing of their intent to act as dispensing physicians. The notification may be made by letter to the Board, or may be noted on the license renewal form.
Once the Board receives the written notification, it retains a copy for the physician's file and sends a copy to the Georgia Pharmacy Board. The Pharmacy Board sends a copy to the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency (GDNA), the agency that enforces the pharmacy law. GDNA sends each of its

agents a list of the physicians with dispensing authority in the agent's assigned territory.
The Medical Board and the Pharmacy Board are currently in the process of updating the list of dispensing physicians. You should have received a letter asking you to indicate if you dispense any medications (other than samples) from your office. If you have not already done so, please send your response at your earliest convenience.

VOLUME 2011, NO. 3

PAGE 4

Upcoming changes to the Board's Rules

Rules Committee Meetings and Alerts

As a result of changes in the Medical Practice Act in the 2010 and 2011 Sessions, the Board has been working diligently to promulgate new and amended rules, including:
Chapter 360-2, Licensing Requirements
Chapter 360-4, Clinical Perfusionist Licensure
Chapter 360-3, Investigations and Discipline
Chapter 360-5, Physician Assistants
Chapter 360-6, Acupuncture

Chapter 360-12, Controlled Substance Therapeutic Research Chapter 360-13, Respiratory Care Chapter 360-28, Physician Profiles Chapter 360-31, Orthotists and Prosthetists Office-Based Surgery Guidelines
Please watch the Board's website for changes to the rules and guidelines that affect your practice.

The Board's Rules Committee usually meets during regularly-scheduled Board meetings on Thursday at 3:00 PM. The Board encourages licensees and other interested parties to attend these meetings.
If you are interested in receiving email alerts regarding changes to the Board's rules, please email your request to be included on the notification list to Carol Dorsey, Board Secretary, at cdorsey@dch.ga.gov.
The Board appreciates your input into this valuable process.

Board posts proposed Rule for Professional Health Program
Development of RFQ to follow adoption of final version of rule

On May 6, 2011, the Board voted to post Rule 360-3-.02(22) for public comment to be heard at its June 30, 2011 meeting. The proposed rule, if adopted after the public hearing, would be a significant step toward the implementation of SB 252, which was signed by Governor Sonny Perdue to authorize the establishment of a professional health program to provide for the monitoring and rehabilitation of health care professionals, even be-

fore they may actually become impaired. The Board is preparing to release a Request for Quotation (RFQ) to invite potential contractors to submit proposals to administer a PHP that will enhance patient safety by encouraging health care professionals to seek treatment when they need it, while ensuring that the participating professionals are monitored and are complying with terms and conditions of the program. Each participant will

be monitored and treated by professionals who are trained to identify who is and who is not safe to practice, and to help the participant to deal with his or her issues, recover from impairment if it has occurred, and reenter the practice of his or her profession with reasonable skill and safety.
Additional information regarding proposed Rule 360-3-.02(22), as well as any RFQ that is issued, will be forthcoming.

Ordering a certification of licensure to a hospital or another Licensing Board

Physicians
The Board has contracted with Veridoc to make your request for license certification more convenient and almost instantaneous. To request a certification to another medical board, go to www.veridoc.org and order and pay for your certification on their secure site. If you have any

problems with the online licensure certification process, contact Veridoc support at 701-319-6500 or at support@veridoc.org.
If you cannot order your physician license certification online, you may send a written request, along with a check or money order for $50 per certification letter, payable to the Georgia Composite Medical Board.

Please allow 10 business days for your certification to be delivered.
All other professions
Please send a written request, along with a check or money order for $25 per certification letter, payable to the Georgia Composite Medical Board. Please allow 10 business days for your certification to be delivered.

VOLUME 2011, NO. 3

PAGE 5

What is an Appropriate Alternate Supervising Physician for a Physician Assistant?
Carolanne Redfearn, PA-C

Carolanne Redfearn, PA-C, was ex-officio member of the Georgia Medical Board from 2004 to 2008. The recipient of the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants' PA of the Year Award in 2009, Ms. Redfearn has served on the Board's PA Advisory Committee since 2003. Ms. Redfearn has practiced as a PA in Thomasville since 1996.
The changes in the Medical Practice Act in the past few years have gone a long way toward streamlining how physicians and PAs practice together in Georgia. It's easier than ever to reference the law with corresponding rules and get a clear idea of what is allowed and what is not.
On a regular basis, Board staff and PA Advisory Committee members are asked to define alternate supervising physicians.
An alternate supervising physician should have the same practice affiliation as the primary supervising physician and should have the same or a very similar scope of practice. For example, in a group practice comprised of family practice, internal medicine and general practice physicians, regardless of which physician serves as a primary supervising physician, it is appropriate for any or all of these physicians to serve as alternate supervising physicians to the group's PAs. If this group has satellite offices and the PA works primarily in one office, it would be most appropriate for the physician who spends the most time in that clinic to serve as the primary supervising physician, with the rest of the members listed as alternate supervisors.

Especially in Georgia's rural communities, there may be several one or two-man physician practices who share in a formal call agreement. As long as these physicians have a similar scope of practice, they may serve as alternate supervising physicians to the PAs in those practices.
We have seen some situations that are inconsistent with the intent of the law. A few examples include:
A company providing PAs to perform certain services (e.g., first assistant in surgery, vein rejuvenation or other cosmetic enhancements) for physicians of multiple specialties who have no affiliation to each other, with the exception of their contract with this company, cannot link these physicians together as alternate supervisors for those PAs. Each medical practice must have a primary supervising physician for these PAs.
A surgical specialist who has a satellite clinic in a town 50 miles away from the main office sends a PA to that clinic to see patients. That in itself is not "THEBOARDPROMOTEDTHEPASSAGEOFSB36,ALAWTHATCREATEDAPRESCRIPTIONMONITORINGPROGRAMTHATWILLHELPCURTAILILLEGALDRUGTRAFFICKINGINOURSTATE." a problem. That same surgeon is unavailable to supervise the PA, for whatever reason. A physician with a different scope of practice who lives in the same city as the clinic agrees to serve as alternate supervising physician to that PA. This is inappropriate supervision of the PA.
If you have any questions about who may listed as alternate supervising physicians for your PAs, please contact Lynette Riddle in the Board office at 404-657-6495 or lriddle@dch.ga.gov.

Board Adopts Amendments to PA Rules, Issues Guidance on Prescribing

In response to significant changes to the laws governing the practice of physician assistants in Georgia, the Board adopted sweeping revisions to the PA rule (Chapter 3605). The amended rules, effective February 7, 2011, have been posted on the Board's website since February 2011.
The Board also posted guidance in February 2011 concerning the filling of prescriptions written by physician assistants, as well as by advanced practice registered nurses. This guidance was in response to guidance issued

to pharmacists by the Georgia Pharmacy Board concerning prescriptions written by mid-level practitioners that they are not authorized to write, or that omit required information.
Please take a moment to review the current PA rules and the Board's guidance on PA prescribing, available on our website at www.medicalboard.georgia.gov.

VOLUME 2011, NO. 3

PAGE 6

Board Prepares to Issue Office-Based Surgery Guidelines

ID Cards, Wall Certificates Available Online

Working closely with interested parties such as the Georgia Society of Anesthesiologists and the Medical Association of Georgia, the Board sent its proposed guidelines for office-based surgery to Attorney General Sam Olens for legal review in June 2011. The guidelines, which the State House of Representatives and State Senate, in separate resolution, urged the Board to create, were written for the purpose of promoting and establishing consistent standards, continuing competency, and promoting patient safety.
The succinct guidelines, as proposed

and sent to the Attorney General for review, address factors related to skill and competency, facility resources, emergency care and transfer protocols, and the separation of the surgical and monitoring functions.
The proposed guidelines also address the reporting of adverse events, as well as "truth in advertising" issues related to the credentials, education, certification, and proficiency claimed by the surgeon and any other personnel involved in performing the procedures.

Missing your licensee ID card or need another wall certificate for your office? The Board's website (https:// versa.medicalboard.georgia.gov/ datamart/gadchMainMenu.do) allows you to order these items easily and securely.
ID cards are mailed to your mailing address of record 2 to 3 days after the order is received. Wall certificates are mailed within 7 days.
Please note that if you never received your card or certificate after being issued your initial license, renewing your license, or ordering a replacement, you have 30 days to request a duplicate at no charge.

Are You Putting Yourself at Risk of Board Discipline?

Renewing Your License Online

Each month, the Board receives an average of 200 complaints that it must investigate. Although many of these complaints are ultimately found to be outside the Board's jurisdiction (for example, rudeness by the physician's office staff, or billing issues arising from a health insurer's denial of a claim), the Board issues a number of sanctions in cases in which the licensee could have alleviated the underlying situations with greater familiarity with the Medical Practice Act and the Rules of the Composite Medical Board.
Examples of actionable unprofessional conduct that could be easily avoided include conducting a physical examination of the breast or genitalia of a patient of the opposite sex without a chaperone present; prescribing controlled substances to a patient the physician should have reasonably sus-

pected was a substance abuser; prescribing controlling substances for family members, friends, office staff, or self; and engaging in inappropriate relationships, whether sexual or financial, with patients.
The Board has provided considerable guidance on these and other frequent pitfalls. You can review documents related to prescribing, pain management, and other issues on the Board's website, and you can also view the Board's newsletters and the Rules and Medical Practice Act on the site.
The Board also sends representatives to speak to audiences about compliance with the Board's Rules. If you would like a representative to discuss these topics with your group or your local association, please contact Bob Jeffery at 404-657-6492 or at rjeffery@dch.ga.gov.

Since the Board implemented its online application system (https:// versa.medicalboard.georgia.gov/ datamart/gadchMainMenu.do) in December 2008, the vast majority of our licensees have used the system to apply for and renew their licenses more efficiently than ever before. However, Board staff has spent a considerable amount of time resetting email addresses, passwords, and looking up the answers to security questions for those licensees who have forgotten their login credentials.
Please remember that it is your responsibility to maintain your login credentials. The Board strongly encourages licensees to use their own email addresses and to renew their own licenses, rather than relying on a credentialing coordinator, office manager, or hospital staffer to do so.

VOLUME 2011, NO. 3

PAGE 7

Board Disciplinary Action Report

The following report lists public disciplinary actions taken by the Board between October 1, 2010 and June 10, 2011. These cases have been investigated and are now part of the public record. Although every effort is made to ensure that the information is correct, you should read the order in its entirety. The Board may include several provisions in an order, and the description of the discipline in this report may not reflect all the actions in the order. You may view these public orders on our website at www.medicalboard.georgia.gov.
Revocations, Voluntary Surrenders, and Suspensions

Profession
Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Respiratory Care Prof Respiratory Care Prof Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Respiratory Care Prof

License
31337 19515 58203 64065 32649 11095 5575 4705 48133 49431 28114 38719 38719 58256 32336 39422 38955 36884 31337 63014 7326

Name
TAPLEY, BENSON WAYNE DRUCKER, DAVID H QURESHI, MOHAMMAD UZAIR RODRIGUEZ, RICARDO ARTURO RUY, PETER BLODEMIR WILLIAMS, WILLIAM MORRIS RODRIGUEZ, GRETCHEN SUZANNE VAN BUREN, BRADLEY F ADAMS, MARK ALAN ADLER, RICHARD COLLIER, MILLARD J JR CRAWFORD, EDWARD COLEMAN CRAWFORD, EDWARD COLEMAN JOACHIM, DAN WILLIAM JOHNSON, NATHANIEL III NEAL, NORMAN PAUL CARDONA SHAH, CHANDRESH BHAUVAT SUTTON, ANDREW EVERETT TAPLEY, BENSON WAYNE WAGUESPACK, SCOTT JOSEPH THIGPIN, JULIAN MOYE III

Date
6/2/2011 12/22/2010
4/1/2011 10/8/2010 5/6/2011 1/7/2011 4/6/2011 2/4/2011 10/7/2010 2/18/2011 5/27/2011 12/3/2010 2/15/2011 5/6/2011 1/8/2011 3/3/2011 6/9/2011 5/6/2011 11/19/2010 5/6/2011 10/7/2010

Discipline
Revocation Voluntary Surrender Voluntary Surrender Voluntary Surrender Voluntary Surrender Voluntary Surrender Voluntary Surrender Voluntary Surrender Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension Suspension

VOLUME 2011, NO. 3
Board Disciplinary Action Report (continued from page 7)

PAGE 8

Public Reprimands, Public Practice Restrictions, Fines, and Probation

Profession Physician Physician Physician Physician Acupuncturist Orthotist Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Assistant Physician Assistant Prosthetist Respiratory Care Prof Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician Physician

License 37472 37326 58314 65615 253 60 41720 26072 16042 8516 35658 27597 60296 23534 26745 59495 3989 4843 52 6200 26769 55930 42814 43925 57978 43380 47925 36297 32520 50370 40088 65458 29495 27712 22469 49215 28696 25070

Name AYERS, STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER PATEL, YASHVANT DAHYABHAI RANGARAJ, RAJESH RAMALINGAM SMART, JOHN K SONG, HAN DUK WILLIAMS, ALLEN DOVER BARTON, PARRIN TAREYL BUCHHAMMER, MARCELO ERNESTO CLABBY, JAMES WILLIAM JR EMPFIELD, KENNETH WILLIAM HOWELL, MARY FRANCES ROBERSON LESLIE, HARVEY BOWEN MAJOR, ISHMEAL PERRY, PAUL KUMAR PIRACHA, NISAR AHMED PRIOR, STEVEN THOMAS BAKER, ANGELA CHOE SUMMERALL, MEGHAN LYNN HYDE, TODD LAMAR MARCHIOLO, PAMELA ELIZABETH BOUQUETTE, VIKTOR RODRICK BULLINGTON, KAREN PATRICIA DORIA, MARIA RENEE DUPREE, MICHAEL GREGG GORRELL, KELVIN WESLEY GROTEFENDT, KENT ALAN MAWULAWDE, KWABENA STEWART, WAYNE THOMAS BRIDGES, MERCER TRUETT JR GIKNAVORIAN, SONIA STELLA HALL, HUGH WOOD LABELLE, INNA MITCHELL, STEPHEN WYATT SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ, ARMANDO SCARBOROUGH, LONNIE T TROTMAN, RONALD ROLAND ULBRICH, PETER JOHN WILLIAMS, WAYNE MARSHALL

Date 4/1/2011 4/1/2011 10/8/2010 2/4/2011 3/15/2011 10/7/2010 11/5/2010 1/7/2011 2/3/2011 4/1/2011 12/3/2010 10/8/2010 2/3/2011 12/3/2010 12/3/2010 3/4/2011 5/12/2011 2/15/2011 2/3/2011 2/3/2011 5/6/2011 6/2/2011 5/6/2011 5/6/2011 2/4/2011 2/3/2011 6/2/2011 11/4/2010 11/29/2010 1/7/2011 1/7/2011 12/3/2010 1/7/2011 11/5/2010 2/4/2011 5/6/2011 3/4/2011 5/5/2011

Discipline Practice Restriction Practice Restriction Practice Restriction Practice Restriction Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Public Reprimand Fine Fine Fine Fine Fine Fine Fine Fine Probation Probation Probation Probation Probation Probation Probation Probation Probation Probation

GCMB - Georgia Composite Medical Board

2 Peachtree St NW 36th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303-3465 Phone: 404-656-3913 Fax: 404-656-9723 E-mail: medbd@dch.ga.gov
The Georgia Composite Medical Board's mission is to protect the health of Georgians through the proper licensing of physicians and certain members of the healing arts and through objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act.

Active Licenses, June 25, 2011:

Physician

31,079

Physician Assistant

3,166

Respiratory Care Professional

5.079

Acupuncturist

209

Perfusionist

131

Resident Physician

2,200

Orthotist & Prosthetist

209

WE'RE ON THE WEB! WWW.MEDICALBOARD.GEORGIA.GOV

Georgia Composite Medical Board Members

Alexander S. Gross, MD , Chairperson (Atlanta) Charles L. White, DO, Vice Chairperson (Cleveland) John S. Antalis, MD (Dalton) William Butler, MD (Macon) Eddie Cheeks, MD, Past Chairperson (Augusta) Alice House, MD (Warner Robins) Kathy Kemle, PA-C (Lizella) Kathy Kinlaw, (Decatur)

Rhonda Kunes (Tifton) Marion O. Lee Jr., MD (Cordele) John T. Perry, MD, Immediate Past Chairperson (White) David Retterbush, MD (Valdosta) William S. Sightler, DO (McRae) Roland S. Summers, MD, Past Chairperson (Savannah) Jean Sumner, MD, Past Chairperson (Wrightsville) Richard L. Weil, MD (Atlanta)

Georgia Composite Medical Board Management Staff

LaSharn Hughes, MBA, Executive Director Carol Dorsey, Board Secretary Peter Ciejek, MD, Medical Consultant Betsy Cohen, JD, Staff Attorney

Robert Jeffery, MBA, Director of Operations Jeffrey Lane, MS, Director of Investigations Franchesca Virgil, Enforcement Supervisor Phyllis White, Licensure Unit Manager