Board of Podiatry Examiners

This report addresses issues related to how the Board of Podiatry Examiners handles complaints against licensed podiatrists and answers consumers’ inquiries. The Board generally investigates and resolves complaints in a timely manner. It spent an average of 116 days resolving the 30 cases it closed in 1997. However, it can improve its complaint handling process by:

• Separating its investigative and adjudicative functions, as advised by Arizona’s Attorney General. The Board has several options to remedy this problem including assigning one of its members to investigate each complaint, appointing an investigative panel, or hiring a staff investigator;
   
• Considering podiatrists’ disciplinary histories when deliberating new complaints against them; and
   
• Better documenting the rationale behind its decisions to dismiss complaints and issue letters of concern.

The Board also needs to provide more complete information to consumers inquiring about podiatrists’ disciplinary histories. Although the Board is willing and provides helpful information to consumers, the auditors found that incomplete information was provided to three out of six inquiries. This occurred primarily because the Board staff rely on a manually compiled list of complaints, thus increasing the likelihood that some past complaints could be overlooked. The Board is developing a database of past and pending complaints which should make it more likely that it can provide complete information.