A professional healthcare license as an audiologist, speech-language pathologist, or hearing aid dispenser does not protect you from disciplinary action if there is an allegation against you. The California Board of Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers considers claims of incompetence, negligence, and criminal acts as very serious. You can lose your license through revocation and suspension, marking the end of a career you have worked very hard to build.
However, we offer legal assistance and support at Orange County License Attorney if you face disciplinary action in Orange County. We can work alongside you to develop a defense strategy that will save your license and career.
Your Critical Role as a Speech Pathologist
As a speech pathologist, your role involves assessing, diagnosing, and treating communication disorders across language, speech, social skills, and voice in all individuals. You are educated to help people communicate effectively, identify any communication disorders they may have, develop treatment plans, and provide the necessary treatment. With your training, you can work in school settings, clinics, hospitals, counseling centres, and independently, with individuals or families. You can also collaborate with other professionals to support people with communication disorders, including those with stroke, autism, communication development delays, and neurological diseases.
However, this skill requires extensive training and dedication. You must dedicate years to training to acquire the necessary skills to diagnose and treat a communication disorder. You also need additional training to serve your patients with patience and professionalism. The Board of Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers considers such competencies when issuing professional licenses.
Sadly, even with the proper training and experience, your license and career are always at risk. If you make a mistake or there is a misunderstanding between you and your clients, colleagues, or employer, you may risk losing your license. The board takes immediate action if it suspects that you are putting your patients at risk of harm. If the allegation is severe, it can suspend or cancel your license, leaving you without a means to earn a living.
Your Critical Role as an Audiologist
An audiologist’s job involves diagnosing, treating, and managing hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders in individuals of all ages. This is a profession that requires extensive training for you to perform tests, fit devices like cochlear implants and hearing aids, provide treatment and rehabilitation, and offer preventive education to all people. Your primary role is to ascertain that people with hearing disorders can communicate more effectively. With your skills, you can work with other medical specialists, like ENTs, teachers, and speech therapists. You can also work independently, offering assistance to individuals and families.
Training as an audiologist takes years and costs a lot of money. Sadly, you could lose it all if someone files a claim against you. Although the board can dismiss a minor allegation without taking action against you, your license is at risk if the allegation is serious. The loss will be more significant when you lose your only means of livelihood.
However, an experienced attorney who has handled cases like yours before can help you navigate complex administrative processes. They can also devise a solid defense against the allegations against you for a favorable outcome.
Your Critical Role as a Hearing Aid Dispenser
If you hold a hearing aid dispenser license in California, your services are crucial in the healthcare sector. This is because you help people with severe hearing conditions by providing them with hearing aids, enabling them to interact effectively. Your role includes assessing a patient’s hearing abilities, diagnosing them, and recommending a suitable hearing aid tailored to their needs. Your services also include adjusting hearing devices and reviewing your patients’ progress over a particular period. In most cases, hearing aid dispensers work closely with audiologists so that patients in need of hearing aids find the right devices for their specific needs and budget.
However, you can also work independently in a clinic or in the community to improve people’s communication and the quality of their lives.
To deliver quality, safe, and effective services, you require exceptional training in assessing, diagnosing, and treating hearing disorders. You also need additional training on various hearing aid devices. Then, you can conduct audiometric tests safely and effectively, counsel patients on their results, recommend hearing aids as needed, and perform adjustments and maintenance on the devices as required.
Even after years of training and service, you can lose your license if the board takes action against you for incompetence, negligence, professional misconduct, or criminal conduct. However, you can defend your license and career by working on a strong defense with the assistance of an experienced license attorney. An attorney can negotiate a favorable settlement with the licensing agency or introduce mitigating factors that may lead to a more favorable outcome in the case.
The Important Role of the Board of Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers
The board issues licenses to qualified speech pathologists, hearing aid experts, and audiologists. It determines their education qualification, experience, and knowledge of the law to certify them for service within the state. The board also monitors their service delivery after licensing to ensure they abide by the expected code of ethics. However, licensing is not its core mandate. This board exists mainly for public safety. It ensures that the public enjoys safe and effective service from licensed healthcare professionals at all times.
Thus, when an allegation is brought against you, the licensing board will defend the public since that is its primary mandate. This means that the agency will not take your side and can act against you. It will not be helpful to expect the agency to rule in your favor, especially if a patient’s life is at risk of harm. In this case, you must find legal help to plan a solid defense against the allegations. An attorney will have your best interests in mind and will do their best so that you receive the best outcome in the case.
This board receives various claims against licensed language pathologists, hearing device experts, and audiologists. Some allegations are minor, and others are serious. It only acts on substantiated allegations and conducts an independent investigation to gather more evidence before taking disciplinary action. Therefore, when someone files a complaint against you, the agency will notify you of their action if it decides to pursue the matter. It also helps to take immediate action to ensure you have an adequate defense in place before the board makes its final decision.
Examples of claims that a licensed language pathologist, hearing aid dispenser, or audiologist can face today include the following:
- Alcohol or drug use or abuse, especially while working
- Engaging in any fraudulent activity, including insurance fraud
- Professional misconduct with a patient, colleague, employer, or any other member of the public
- Allowing unlicensed professionals to work under your supervision in a position that requires licensing
- Receiving, offering, or receiving payments to refer a patient
- Asking for a kickback to propose a particular treatment
- Using false practices when advertising or marketing your practice
- Any kind of negligence when treating patients, including gross, ordinary, or criminal negligence
- Demonstrating incompetence when discharging your services
- Failing to offer your services to a needy patient
- A criminal arrest or a prior conviction that impacts your ability to provide safe and effective services
- An investigation by a different licensing agency, or any other government agency, even from another state
Remember that the board can dismiss an allegation against you if there is insufficient evidence of your wrongdoing. If you receive a notice of investigation, prepare your defense thoroughly, as it may result in a hearing to determine the appropriate disciplinary action to be taken against you. The licensing agency will appoint a team of investigators to investigate the matter, and an administrative judge will oversee the hearing. The administrative judge will review the evidence gathered by the investigators during the hearing. You are also allowed to table proof in your favor and present a statement to influence the outcome of the case.
Types of Professional Discipline Used by this Board
If the board decides to pursue your case and investigates it, it may discipline you if the investigators gather incriminating evidence against you. The agency uses different types of discipline, based on the nature and severity of the allegations it receives from the public. Here are typical professional disciplines, and how they can affect your life, career, and license:
Citations and Fines
These are very common, especially for minor claims against licensed audiologists, language pathologists, and hearing device dispensers. When the board issues a citation, you will be required to attend a court hearing and pay a specified fine. The fine can be reasonable or substantial, based on the nature of the allegation against you.
Although citations and fines do not directly affect your career, they may have a lasting impact, especially since they are issued publicly. A citation can ruin your career if critical people, like your employer, colleagues, or patients, discover the allegation against you.
Therefore, your attorney should do their best to fight against a public citation to safeguard your reputation. If the required fine is high, they can negotiate for a more affordable amount.
Public Reprimand
This, too, is used in minor claims against licensed professionals. A reprimand letter is typically a formal warning issued for professional misconduct. The reprimand mentions the underlying allegation and issues a stern warning against similar conduct in the future. While this, too, does not directly affect your career, it may harm your relationship with your patients and employer, and make it difficult to attract new patients in the future. If you have a good reputation in the industry, a public reprimand can ruin that reputation.
An experienced attorney can effectively challenge this type of discipline to protect your reputation and career prospects.
License Suspension
Suspension is a severe disciplinary action used for serious violations. The board may temporarily suspend you to allow you time to address an underlying issue affecting your competence or professionalism. For example, if you have a drug problem, the board can give you months or years to undergo treatment and rehabilitation while your license is on suspension. Once the suspension period is over, and you meet the set conditions, you can apply for reinstatement.
This is a harsh punishment, as it deprives you of your livelihood for a significant period. This means that you cannot support yourself and your dependents during this time. Additionally, applying for reinstatement is a complex process that requires time and incurs additional costs.
Based on the circumstances of your case, your attorney can fight for a favorable outcome by negotiating for favorable terms or fighting the suspension altogether.
License Revocation
Although this is a rare disciplinary action, it may occur if you put your patients or the public at risk of harm. License revocation means that you will no longer earn your living as a language pathologist, audiologist, or hearing aid expert. It will mark the end of a career that has taken you years and cost a lot of money to build.
A competent attorney will try various strategies to fight license revocation. For example, they can negotiate for a settlement before the matter is brought to a hearing, or introduce mitigating factors during the hearing.
Find Competent License Defense Services Near Me
If you or your loved one is facing disciplinary action by the Board of Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, & Hearing Aid Dispensers in Orange County, a proficient license defense lawyer can help. A disciplinary action may result in the suspension or cancellation of your license or any other action that may affect your livelihood. Having an attorney by your side increases your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome in the case.
We can help at Orange County License Attorney. We understand how challenging it can be for healthcare professionals in California to obtain a license. We can work with you so that your best interests are taken into account throughout the administrative process. Contact us at (714) 782-6386 to start this process.
