The Importance of the Hiring Process for a Physical Therapy Practice

 Posted on January 31, 2019 in Medical License Defense

When you make the decision to open up a physical therapy office, you are dedicating your life to facilitating the physical healing of injured patients. The decision to become a physical therapist is likely one that stems from a want to nurture and heal. Unfortunately, not all physical therapists have the same moral compass, and you can lose your physical therapy license if you hire someone that acts in a negligent manner. If the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), begins investigating your practice, it is time to seek out quality legal assistance.

Common Forms of Employee Negligence

When hiring employees to work with you in your physical therapy practice, it is important to educate them on potential malpractice risks, while also spending extensive time looking into their background and previous work experience. Any form of negligent acts they commit while working for you could result in a loss of your professional license.

Sexual Misconduct or Harassment: Tragically sexual misconduct is incredibly common throughout the medical industry. Due to the hands-on nature of a physical therapist’s job, it is important to fully and properly educate your employees on what constitutes appropriate touching. A harassment complaint can lead to direct license loss.

Improper or Negligent Care: As medical professionals, physical therapists are responsible for properly diagnosing and working to heal the ailments of their clients. A misdiagnosis can result in further physical damage. In order to provide the highest quality of care, your employees need to have a high level of medical acumen and an ability to listen to the needs of all your patients.

Previous Patient Mistreatment: As an employer, you have a responsibility to look into previous work experience of any prospective employee. Hiring an employee, with any previous criminal convictions or medical complaints in a neighboring state, could come back to haunt you. Finding the right employees can be a difficult proposition, finding the wrong ones can cause your business irreparable damage.

Contact an Illinois Physical Therapy Defense Lawyer

Once you become aware that an investigation has been launched against your practice, you must act quickly and intelligently. The first step you should take is hiring a legal team that you can trust. Attorney Joseph J. Bogdan has decades of legal experience within the state of Illinois, including time as a prosecutor for the IDFPR, and is ready to fight for your right to medically practice in Illinois. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced Illinois license defense attorney, call us today at 630-310-1267.

Source:

http://www.physicaltherapyexpertwitness.com/files/pdf/Physical-Therapy-and-Malpractice.pdf