MedBoard Matters

The North Carolina Medical Board is committed to providing our licensees with tools that will help them be successful in their practice (and hopefully avoid any regulatory issues). In this episode, we outline a centralized resource we've created to help them learn about and stay informed on a variety of Board policies and practice specific topics. Learn more here: www.ncmedboard.org/quickstartHost: Jean Fisher Brinkley, Communications Director, North Carolina Medical BoardProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges, Communications Specialist, North Carolina Medical BoardFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

With the holiday season firmly upon us, host Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with NCMB's Chief Investigative Officer, Pat Berckmiller about the worrying trend the Board has seen around this time of year and the marked increase in licensee arrests for DWI, most of which are alcohol related. Please Note: We'll be taking a two-month hiatus to recharge and recalibrate for the coming year, with our first episode of 2025 slated for March. Happy Holidays from the North Carolina Medical Board!Host: Jean Fisher Brinkley, Communications Director, North Carolina Medical BoardGuest: Pat Berckmiller, Chief Investigative Officer, North Carolina Medical BoardProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges, Communications Specialist, North Carolina Medical BoardFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

Hurricane Helene barreled into Western North Carolina on the morning of Friday, September 27th, leaving unprecedented levels of devastation in its wake. The storm has since been confirmed as the most damaging and deadly hurricane in North Carolina history. Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with State Health Director Dr. Betsey Tilson about all of the things NC DHHS has been doing to safeguard the health and safety of people impacted by the storm. Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Dr. Betsey Tilson, State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer, NC DHHSProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

It can be frustrating when medication shortages impact access to essential healthcare. Host Jean Fisher-Brinkley discusses a range of possible solutions with Jay Campbell, Executive Director at the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. Find out what steps healthcare consumers and providers can take in such situations. Visit our show page for resources mentioned in this episode.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Jack W. “Jay” Campbell IV, JD, RPh, Executive Director at the North Carolina Board of PharmacyProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

Physician suicide is a longstanding issue, with doctors contemplating ending their own lives as frequently as non-physicians. However, a recent survey of North Carolina doctors indicates the problem may be more severe than previously understood. Join Jean Fisher Brinkley and Dr. Joe Jordan, CEO of the North Carolina Professionals Health Program, as they discuss the alarming findings from NCPHP's recent Suicidal Ideation Survey and explore solutions to address this critical issue. Visit our show page for resources mentioned in this episode.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Dr. Joe Jordan, CEO of the North Carolina Professionals Health ProgramProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

Nearly one in three medical professionals who responded to our recent licensee survey told us they had either witnessed or been involved in a violent incident with patients in the last year. In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Representative Timothy Reeder, MD who was the primary sponsor of a bill, now a law, called the Hospital Violence Protection Act. Click here to access the resources mentioned in the episode.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Representative Timothy Reeder, MDProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

As the oldest continuously operating medical board in the United States and territories, NCMB just celebrated 165 years in operation. Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley is joined by current Board CEO Thom Mansfield and former CEO David Henderson as they test their knowledge of early Board history.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuests: Thom Mansfield, JD and David Henderson, JDProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

On this episode of MedBoard Matters, we interview two former Board Members (and Presidents) and our current Board President, Dr. Christine Khandelwal and uncover what drew each of them into pursuing service on the North Carolina Medical Board. Plus we outline the process for becoming a Board Member and much more.View the resources mentioned in this episode here.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuests: Dr. Tim Lietz; Dr.  Eleanor Greene; Dr. Christine KhandelwalProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

On this episode of MedBoard Matters we are partnering once again with NC DHHS to raise licensee awareness of a worrying resurgence of an illness considered all but eradicated: syphilis. Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Dr. Victoria Mobley, Medical Director of the HIV and Sexually Transmitted Disease section of the state Division of Public Health on ways clinicians can aid in the efforts to combat congenital syphilis.View the resources mentioned in this episode here.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Dr. Victoria Mobley, NC DHHSProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, we are talking all about medical corporations and NCMB's role in helping to register them in accordance with state law. Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with the Board's Corporations Coordinator Malinda Sink about the key things our licensees should do when "hanging out their shingle".View the resources mentioned in this episode here.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Malinda SinkProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

Problems and misunderstandings with physician supervision of PAs, NPs and other APPs are perennial issues in North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) enforcement cases. In this episode of MedBoard Matters, Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with John Goldfield, PA-C, who is an Assistant Medical Director with the NCMB about his experiences building successful relationships with supervising physicians.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: John Goldfield, PA-CProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Clare Studwell, Founder & CEO of Flow Strategy about the survey results from our 2023 Licensee Survey. The Board asked providers to weigh in on topics ranging from their employment challenges to changes in opioid prescribing  to implementation of telemedicine in their practices. Listen in and see what we learned.Visit our website to access some of the resources discussed on the episode. Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Clare Studwell, Founder & CEO of Flow StrategyProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Dr. Robyn Jordan, Medical Director of the UNC Addiction Medicine Fellowship about a new eight hour continuing medical education (CME) series that focuses on the treatment of opioid use disorder. This series satisfies the new one-time DEA training requirement that is part of the Medication and Treatment Access or MATE Act. Resources mentioned in the episode can be found here. Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Robyn Jordan, MD, PhD, Medical Director of the UNC Addiction Medicine FellowshipProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley and the Board's Director of Legal Department Operations, Carren Mackiewicz,  discuss the Board's revamped compliance & monitoring program and cover what the Board is doing to ensure that licensees who are ordered by the Board to do something  - either in the interim or permanently - are in compliance.ResourcesMedical board disciplinary terms and conceptsRecent Board actionsHost: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Carren Mackiewicz, Director of Legal Department Operations for the North Carolina Medical BoardProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, allow us to get a little nostalgic as we say goodbye to Mr. R. David Henderson, retiring CEO of the North Carolina Medical Board as he talks about his time at the Board and the many, many changes that have taken place at the organization over the last 26 years. Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: R. David Henderson, retiring CEO of the North Carolina Medical BoardProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters we are taking a look at the current landscape for MAT prescribing.  Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Dr. Blake Fagan, Department Chair of Family Medicine for MAHEC, the Mountain Area Health Education Center about current trends in MAT and dives into a training mandate on the horizon that impacts anyone with an active DEA registration.  Resources mentioned in this podcast:NCMB MAT Resource pageHost: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Dr. Blake Fagan, Department Chair of Family Medicine for MAHEC, the Mountain Area Health Education CenterProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

This episode of MedBoard Matters, dives into the second part of our two-part series on N.C. Gen. Stat. §90-5.4 (aka, Duty to Report); Specifically on our licensee's duty to report any fraudulent prescribing, drug diversion or theft of controlled substances by a licensee of the Board. Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with the NCMB's Chief Investigative Officer, Pat Berckmiller and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Burke-Haynes about the types of cases the Board has seen around these activities and shares some guidance and CME resources designed to help our licensees with this difficult duty.Follow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

This episode of MedBoard Matters, dives into the first part of a two-part series on N.C. Gen. Stat. §90-5.4 (aka, Duty to Report). This update to the NC Medical Practice Act took place in 2019 and requires medical professionals licensed by the North Carolina Medical Board to report:1. Any sexual misconduct by a licensee of the Board2. Any fraudulent prescribing, drug diversion or theft of controlled substances by a licensee of the Board.Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with the medical board's two legislative liaisons, Thom Mansfield and Evelyn Contre, and also Deputy General Counsel Brian Blankenship about the statute and what it means for the licensees of the North Carolina Medical Board.Follow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

As 2022 winds down, it seems appropriate to reflect on the year that we've had with the MedBoard Matters podcast and tell you what we have planned in 2023. But most importantly, we want to wish you all a very happy holiday season and thank you for listening to our podcast. ICYMI, here are our top three podcasts from 2022.  Patient dismissals: Preserving patient welfare when cutting tiesCultural Competence in MedicineMedication for opioid use disorder: Our best chance to turn the tide on overdose deathsSee you in February 2023!! Follow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

Have you ever wondered what a physician assistant (PA) is and what role they play in patient care? In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with Molly Calabria, PA-C (President) and Meg Beal, MMS, PA-C (President-Elect) of the North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants about their backgrounds, educational journeys, history of the PA profession, and more.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuests: Molly Calabria, PA-C and Meg Beal, MMS, PA-CProducer: Sylvia French-HodgesFollow the North Carolina Medical Board on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Email your questions to: podcast@ncmedboard.org.

Can you file an anonymous complaint with the North Carolina Medical Board? The short answer is "yes", but there are some things you need to know first. In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with the Board's Complaints Manager, Shikha Sinha about the whys and the hows and covers the possible issues with trying to stay anonymous when filing a complaint against a doctor or PA.Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuests: Shikha SinhaProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with two of North Carolina's leading experts and educators in utilizing medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Dr. Robyn Jordan and Dr. Shuchin Shukla talk about the various trainings available in our state and how stigma and hesitance to prescribe buprenorphine or methadone should not interfere with providers offering this life-saving treatment option. Resources mentioned in this podcast: NCMB MAT Resource pageHost: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuests: Dr. Robyn Jordan and Dr. Shuchin Shukla Producer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks about the Board's premiere outreach program called the Regulatory Immersion Series (or RImS for short). This program takes the medical board disciplinary process to students at North Carolina medical and physician assistant programs to help early career professionals understand the role of medical regulation. Host: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuests: Dr. Barbara Walker and Dr. Christine KhandelwalProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with the NCMB's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Burke-Haynes about how to best preserve patient welfare when a provider dismisses a patient from their medical practice and covers the obligations they have when cutting ties. Resources mentioned in this podcast:NCMB's position statement on the Licensee-Patient RelationshipHost: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: Dr. Karen Burke-HaynesProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley highlights the Board's 2021 annual report and speaks with Dr. Joe Jordan and Dr. Clark Gaither from the NC Professionals Health Program about a troubling threefold increase from 2020 to 2021 of public actions related to alcohol and substance use.Resources mentioned in the podcast:2021 NCMB Annual ReportNC Professionals Health Program websiteHost: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuests: Dr. Joe Jordan and Dr. Clark Gaither from the NC Professionals Health ProgramProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, we talk with NC DHHS Sec. Kody Kinsley about the state's latest COVID-19  efforts and he shares his vision for life beyond COVID-19.  He outlines some of the key health initiatives he plans to focus on for North Carolinians including Medicaid expansion, mental health services, equity and diversity in healthcare, and the power of data analysis to help shape healthcare policy.Resources mentioned in podcast​:NC DHHS WebsiteCOVID-19 DashboardDivision of Child and Family Well-BeingWIC ProgramSimplified Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)Healthy North Carolina 2030Blood donation eligibility letter to the FDARed Cross locations for blood donationHost: Jean Fisher BrinkleyGuest: NC DHHS Secretary Kody KinsleyProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with NC Medical Board member, Dr. Christine Khandelwal about her journey toward embracing cultural humility in her practice and how she is working to educate not only herself, but others on increasing their cultural competency.Find resources mentioned in this podcast here.Host: Jean Fisher Brinkley Guest: Dr. Christine KhandelwalProducer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with NCMB's Chief Investigative Officer, Pat Berckmiller about the North Carolina Medical Board's investigative process to help dispel and demystify it for our licensees.Find resources mentioned in this podcast here.Host: Jean Fisher Brinkley Guest: Pat Berckmiller Producer: Sylvia French-Hodges

In this episode of MedBoard Matters host, Jean Fisher Brinkley speaks with some of North Carolina's foremost experts in addressing child maltreatment and focuses on the clinicians' critical role in protecting children from abuse.Podcast guests:Molly Berkoff, MD, MPHMelinda Manning, JD, MSWKaren Burke-Haynes, MDVisit the Board's resource page to access the links mentioned in this episode.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, we dig deep into our mailbag to answer some of our frequently asked questions and spend a good portion of the episode focused on Physician Assistants and some of the key responsibilities and practice guidelines in place for them. Check out the resources and web links mentioned in this episode.

What is an outside medical reviewer and why does the Board need them? What do they do? How can they help preserve self-regulation in medicine? All of these questions are answered in this episode of MedBoard Matters. Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with NCMB's Chief Legal Officer Thom Mansfield and Deputy General Counsel Brian Blankenship about how the Board uses outside reviewers and why they're so important. Learn more about the process on the Board's website.Read the Expert Reviewer Manual here.To indicate your interest in providing outside medical reviews, contact reviewers@ncmedboard.org or call 919-277-1874. 

This is a special episode of MedBoard Matters because – it's our birthday. The month of September marks one full year of podcast episodes, and we thought it appropriate to pause and observe that milestone.  Host, Jean Fisher Brinkley shares some thoughts about what we've learned in our first year of podcasting, and where we are headed next with this endeavor. 

In this episode, you are going to hear straight from State Health Director and NC DHHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elizabeth “Betsey” Tilson about why it's so important to get vaccination rates up in North Carolina and how pivotal our healthcare providers are to this effort. Dr. Tilson also shares information about several tools that have been developed to help shape conversations for patients who have been reluctant to get vaccinated.Check out those resources on our website.

Are you ready to become a more informed patient? In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley walks listeners through how to perform a provider search on the Board's website and the anatomy of a licensee page. She also answers some pretty key questions about the types of information the Board collects and what it means to healthcare consumers.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley reviews the STOP Act requirement to check the NC Controlled Substances Reporting System (NC CSRS) before prescribing certain controlled substances which goes in effect July 7, 2021.  Jean also talks with Stephanie Johnson, Manager of the PDMP Utilization Project for NC CSRS about recent updates to the system and the ease of practice integration through EHR systems.  See all of the resources referenced  in the episode here.

Mandatory use of NC CSRS goes in effect July 7, 2021. In our next episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley will give physicians, physician assistants and other controlled substances prescribers the information they need to ensure they are in compliance by July 7th.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks about the medical professional’s obligation to certify deaths, and the havoc that results when this obligation is not fulfilled.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with NCMB's Chief Investigative Officer, Pat Berckmiller about scams that target our licensees and what steps they can take to protect themselves. Jean also covers some "red flags" to listen for if a phone call sounds a little fishy. Finally, Jean shares some tools that might mitigate any damage for folks who may have already fallen prey to a scammer.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley highlights the Board's 2020 annual report and speaks with the Board's Chief Communications Officer and Legislative Liaison, Evelyn Contre about the Board's Coivd-19 response.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, we talk with NC DHHS Sec. Dr. Mandy Cohen about the Covid vaccination efforts in NC and how our licensees can help.

In this episode of MedBoard Matters, host, Jean Fisher Brinkley speaks with Marissa Hoechstetter who is a survivor of sexual assault by her physician and is now an active patient advocate speaking out to raise awareness and demand greater accountability. Jean also speaks with Board paralegal Wanda Long who is the staff member who originated the role of Victim Services Coordinator here at the North Carolina Medical Board.

NCMB has created several new resources to help patients understand what to expect during a physical examination and learn to recognize red flags and signs of possible sexual misconduct by a medical professional. Listen in as host, Jean Fisher Brinkley talks with the Board's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Burke-Haynes and Deputy General Counsel, Brian Blankenship about these new consumer resources.

Since the onset of coronavirus pandemic, we've all had to make some significant changes to how we approach our work. NCMB closed its offices to visitors since mid-March, and the day-to-day work is done by staff at home. One of the biggest challenges for us was how could we pull off a Board Meeting? In this episode of MedBoard Matters we are going to talk about our experiences presenting virtual meetings, and share details on how you can listen in.

After listening to this episode of MedBoard Matters, you should have a clear understanding of what a medical board complaint can and cannot achieve. You’ll know what types of issues the Board can address, what kind of providers NCMB has authority over and, most important, how patient complaints help NCMB protect the public.

Host Jean Fisher Brinkley discusses ways to overcome stigma associated with mental health issues in medical professionals and strategies and resources for getting help with guest Dr. Christine Moutier, Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Listen as host Jean Fisher Brinkley gives you a preview of what we hope to cover in our MedBoard Matters podcast.