North Carolina anyone???

jackstem · Apr 2, 2011

Hey Guys,
Newbie here. Great to see a forum geared toward health professionals in recovery. I'm a physician but unfortunately we don't have a good forum like this so I'm turning to you guys/gals for help. I'll be moving from up north to North Carolina in about 8 months. I'm involved with the PHP here in Pennsylvania but am not involved with the state medical board here. I'm very apprehensive about applying for medical license in NC because of some of the questions that are asked. Does anyone know about the physician program there that would be willing to chat? Any info would be great.
Thanks.

Hi precedexter and welcome!

Congratulations on your recovery!

I'm a peer advisor for nurse anesthetists in Ohio ("retired" CRNA due to this lousy disease), and consult with a nursing license defense attorney on her clients who have substance misuse issues. One of the first suggestions I make to any nurse considering a move to another state is to consult with a license defense attorney with experience facing the licensing board in the state you're moving to. The medical practice act can be complicated, and it's easy to get confused about what it says about a number of issues. Contacting the medical board can provide some useful information, but as I've discovered in my three years of working with nursing boards in 3 states, they don't always provide accurate information. They aren't attorneys and don't always understand the medical practice act any better than other non-attorneys. I've seen nurses get "burned" after following advice from a nursing board employee. A good example is a nurse anesthetist transferring from a southern state to midwestern state. This CRNA was in a monitoring program in their original licensing state, had a couple of years left on the monitoring agreement, and was completely candid with the person they spoke with at the midwest state board. The midwest BON issued an unrestricted license. The CRNA moved to the state to begin working at their new job. They called the BON again to be sure they were doing everything necessary. The person they spoke with this time didn't understand how an unrestricted license was issued. The midwest board immediately suspended their license until they contacted the monitoring agency in the southern state. The midwest board reinstated the CRNA's license with a 6 month restriction on controlled substances along with a 3 year monitoring agreement. They lost their job since they wouldn't be able to administer controlled substances for 6 months. The CRNA decided to move back to their original state. The attorney I work with said she would have warned the CRNA that this would likely be the outcome if she had been consulted prior to the CRNA seeking an Ohio license. She would have also provided a variety of options to minimize the problems with obtaining an unrestricted license in the new state.

Sadly, too many of our colleagues don't understand this disease and still consider it a "moral" issue. I spoke at a workshop for chemical dependency counselors yesterday. The person speaking before me was from the Physician Health Program in Ohio. He related several examples of how the board states that chemical dependence is a treatable disease, yet they essentially chastised the impaired MD for being a "bad person" who "should know better", etc. Talk about cognitive dissonance!

Have you contacted the North Carolina Physician's Health Program? They might be able to assist you. Also, Google north carolina medical license defense attorneys to find someone to consult. It could be money well spent.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Jack

Sharonrninva · Apr 6, 2011

Congratulations on your recovery!! I can only tell you that in VA it is a 5 year program. Good Luck!!!

precedexter · Apr 6, 2011

Hey Jack,

Thank you so much for the response. I did call the NC PHP, however, my concern is that they are very much involved with the state. I just want to make sure that I do my due dilligence to get the facts, which quite frankly, are difficult to find. I hate to spend the $$$ for an attorney but it might be a necessary call I have to make. I don't want to disclose prematurely in this situation. Any good names you might recommend?

jackstem · Apr 6, 2011

Hey Jack,
Thank you so much for the response. I did call the NC PHP, however, my concern is that they are very much involved with the state. I just want to make sure that I do my due dilligence to get the facts, which quite frankly, are difficult to find. I hate to spend the $$$ for an attorney but it might be a necessary call I have to make. I don't want to disclose prematurely in this situation. Any good names you might recommend?

I don't know of any medical license defense attorneys in NC. I checked with the attorney I consult with and she isn't familiar with anyone in NC who have faced the medical or nursing boards.

I went to the NCPHP website and found this information"

NCPHP is the only organization in North Carolina for physicians, physician assistants, perfusionists, and anesthesia assistants offering identification, intervention, and rehabilitation programs that are non-disciplinary and confidential in practice. NCPHP can be differentiated from other programs for impairment because state and federal legislation provides or allows for:
Immunity from liability for hospitals while performing peer review functions
Confidentiality ensuring the practitioner's identity is protected if patient care has not been affected
Advocacy for successful participants with the NC Medical Board, insurance companies, employers, families, and others
Leverage of the NC Medical Board's authority in licensing when the referred practitioner's impairment is confirmed and their denial places them in imminent danger to themselves or their patients
A monitoring process that contributes to the high recovery rate
Financial assistance for indigent participants

Most, if not all Alternative to Discipline programs are associated with the licensing board in some way. Notice the fourth bullet point...many, many, many health care professionals are extremely difficult "nuts to crack". It seems that the more intelligent someone is, the stronger their denial system. In order to have the "leverage" needed to break through that denial, the threat of loss of license can be the only thing powerful enough. I know for the longest time I struggled with losing my identity as a CRNA. That was the most important thing in my life (sadly). If I wasn't a CRNA then I was nothing. I see that in about 99% of the nurses I work with in the early stages of their crash and burn. They simply do NOT want to admit they have this disease and refuse to seek assistance of any kind until the threat of loss of licensure (or jail!) becomes a very real possibility.

One of the things some state boards don't get (the public doesn't get it either) is a health professional is more likely to seek help voluntarily if they know they will have a chance of keeping their license with no action if they complete the program successfully. There is also a significantly higher success rate (remaining clean and sober) for those in an alternative program than there is in disciplinary programs. What's the one thing that gives these programs higher success rates than traditional treatment? The monitoring! Being required to attend aftercare for a specific length of time, attendance at support groups several times a week, monthly and quarterly reports from the professional, their employer, on-site monitor, treatment counselors, addictionologist, and random toxicology screens not only keeps them clean, it gets them grounded in a solid program of recovery for for several years (most are beginning to monitor for 5 years). Studies have shown the risk of relapse drops significantly after 5 years of continuous clean time.

The recovering health care professional in a well run monitoring program is one of the safest employees/practitioners in the organization. Why? Because they are being tested randomly and have very specific guidelines to follow. I have no doubt the reason many MDs and nurses balk at random drug screens at their place of employment is the fear of getting caught using illegal drugs, or use of prescription medications without a valid prescription. If they randomly screen truck drivers, pilots, fire fighters, police, and others who DON'T handle controlled substances, it only makes sense to randomly test the folks who handle the medications. Not a popular stance. Oh well.

From reading the above information from the NCPHP...it appears this could be the best option available to you. If you're still concerned, consider a one time consultation with an experienced license defense attorney to get their opinion on your options. The attorney will know if the PHP is effective and advocates for the physician. It could money well spent.

I'll see if any of my contacts in NC have an opinion based on experience.

Jack

CarriD · Jun 8, 2011

I can only speak for myself and a nurse in recovery. The nursing board in NC has been very fair, and treated with dignity and respect. Like others have mentioned you certainly find out who understands and who does not. That is their problem...be proud of the fact you have faced something head on. Most of us come out the other side waaayyyy better than we went in. You'll love NC. Good luck!