Medical board comes under fire from lawmakers

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003 | 9:03 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Medical Examiners, which licenses and disciplines doctors, is under fire again from Nevada legislators.

Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said Wednesday the board has ignored the wishes of the Legislature by not licensing doctors from other states who have permits to practice in those states.

And Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, a major critic of the board, said the examiners have not yet attempted to open an office in Las Vegas, where most of the state's physicians practice.

Their comments came at a meeting of the Legislative Committee, which after extensive discussion agreed to hire the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States to conduct a performance audit of the board.

The examiners board has required all physicians to take the state's examination before being allowed to practice in Nevada, even if they were licensed with no disciplinary actions against them in other states.

Keith Lee, a Reno lawyer and lobbyist for the board, said the board considered starting an office in Las Vegas with three staff members that would cost about $500,000 over two years. That would require an increase in the dues paid by physicians every two years, he said.

Lee said Dr. Donald Havins, executive director of the Clark County Medical Society, who had been the main proponent during the Legislature of either moving the board headquarters from Reno to Las Vegas or creating a branch office in Las Vegas, has changed his mind because of the fee increase.

Havins, at the last meeting of the Medical Examiners Board, said a full-time office was not needed in Las Vegas as long as the board could continue to link to its meetings via video.

The board is holding a special video-conferenced meeting at 3 p.m. Friday in Reno and at 2310 Corporate Circle Drive, Suite 200, in Henderson, to talk about the purchase of video-conference equipment and about locating an office in Las Vegas.

An audit of the board by the federation would cost $27,875, Legislative Auditor Paul Townsend said.

Townsend said the federation has performed similar audits in other states.

"They are not afraid to make strong recommendations," he said.

Buckley and O'Connell were concerned the federation might not look into certain areas the Legislature is concerned about. Townsend assured them the scope of the audit is outlined in the law.

The audit was ordered by the Legislature and is to be paid for by the examiners board. It is required to start by Oct. 1.