Analysis: Surgery Center Data Incomplete on Medical Board Website
The Medical Board of California largely has failed to implement key provisions of a law that aims to provide consumers with data on outpatient surgery centers owned by physicians, according to a KPCCÂ analysis, KPCC's "KPCC News" reports.
Details of Law
The law (SB 100) -- which took effect Jan. 1, 2012 -- requires that the medical board "obtain and maintain" a list of accredited outpatient settings. According to the law, the list must include the names of any physician owners and their medical license numbers. The list also must note whether a facility's accreditation has been suspended or revoked.
The law requires the board to post the data on its website.
Details of Analysis
The KPCC analysis of the board's website found poor organization of the data, as well as incomplete surgery center listings.
According to the analysis, only 14 of 100 online surgery center listings included the name of the physician owner, while only five provided such physicians' medical license numbers
The analysis also found that most of the surgery center data on the site lacked details about whether the facility's accreditation had been revoked or suspended.
State Responds
In an interview, Linda Whitney -- executive director of the medical board -- acknowledged that the data are incomplete.
She said that the board is overhauling its computer system, so refining surgery center data on the website "has not been the highest priority."
However, she added that the board hopes to make the website "much more consumer-friendly" in the coming year (O'Neill, "KPCC News," KPCC, 3/11). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.