At any given time, our office represents a multitude of practitioners throughout Maryland before various Maryland disciplinary boards — many before the Maryland Board of Nursing (“MBON”). Most practitioners come to us devastated from having learned that a complaint has been filed against them. While such a reaction is understandable, this is not a time to panic. It is, however, time to make sure that retain an attorney who has great knowledge and familiarity with the disciplinary process and can immediately step in and defend you.
The disciplinary process is typically long-lasting — often in excess of a year — and may include several critical steps, none of which a practitioner should undertake on their own. Recently, MBON has attempted to streamline the process. One aspect of their streamlined process involves what used to be called settlement conferences — now called “case resolution conferences.” At such a conference, the prosecutor, who is tasked with charging the practitioner with violations of the law, will represent to the Board why discipline (and what kind) is appropriate as a punishment. The practitioner, or their attorney, can respond to these charges (and often can negotiate directly with the prosecutor) for a result that is much more palatable.
We are excited to report that in the last few weeks, we have successfully defended against charges filed against several nurses — all of which were fully dismissed without any consequences to our clients at the case resolution conference.
If you receive a complaint letter from a disciplinary board, do not hesitate to contact us immediately. We have successfully defended against dozens of complaints and we are armed and ready to vigorously defend you.