Peer Reviews

If you are facing a hospital or administrative peer review, your clinical privileges are at risk. This can include any diagnostic therapeutic and admitting privileges. As competition is a challenging and constant presence in the medical field, the loss of privileges can be detrimental to your practice and your financial stability.

Many physicians may not feel that legal representation and medical board defense is necessary when they are called before a peer review panel. Unfortunately, this can be a grave mistake. Hospital and administrative peer review hearings are serious affairs and can adversely affect your hospital privileges. It is in your best interest to consult a knowledgeable and experienced attorney when preparing for a hearing because the agenda of the peer review panel is not geared toward protecting you or your privileges.

An Attorney is Essential

Medical staff disputes can become ugly very quickly and a medical professional can easily lose staff privileges, especially when they do not have proper legal representation. This does not mean your typical attorney or "Texas Hammer" defense lawyer. As peer reviews are an incredibly serious matter, your attorney must understand your hospital by-laws, which provide the due process rights afforded to the physician.

Physicians also need to be aware that mediation is available as an option in most medical staff disputes. There are, however, strict guidelines to which one must adhere if the right to mediation is to be protected. As hospital by-laws now have provisions for mediation, it is best to involve an attorney as soon as possible so that deadlines can be met, provided that mediation is the best and most appropriate option for your case.

Preparation is Key

As with most administrative hearings, preparation and facts will win cases. This is why I work closely with clients to prepare their cases extensively, while at the same time managing legal expenses in an appropriate manner. With my more than 30 years of experience as a licensed physician, no time will be wasted in having to decipher technical medical information. This means that I can immediately delve into using the medical facts to develop legal defense strategies that will protect your due process rights and your practice. Contact the Tew Law Firm as soon as possible to begin defending your staff privileges.