Electrology: Employing an Unlicensed Person

As a licensed electrologist in the State of Florida, you know you must do everything possible to protect your license. If something happens to it, you could lose the ability to provide for yourself or your family. There are services you provide that only a licensed electrologist, and no one else, can provide to their patients. This article will provide information on what can happen to your license should someone else provide those services and provide options you can take if you find yourself staring at an administrative complaint. 

You are a licensed electrologist in Florida. You decide to open your own practice and it turns out to be very successful. So much business is coming in that you must hire other people to help manage the business. Several months later, you come in and find an administrative complaint has been filed against your license! One of your employees was providing electrology services to a patient and they don’t have a license! The state has charged you with employing an unlicensed person to practice electrology. Could this really affect my license? Someone else was the one performing those services. Unfortunately, your license is the one on the line and the state can take action. 

The disciplinary actions the state can take against your license can be severe. Your license could be put on one year of probation. But it could also be suspended up to five years and then put on probation. You could also face a $250 to $5,000 fine or have your license renewal denied. This is just for a first offense. If this happens more than once, your license could be suspended from one to five years, followed by probation and a fine from $1,000 to $5,000. You could also face your license being denied renewal. Facing suspension could be a life altering penalty for you. It is very important that you take the time to make sure those you are employing can legally provide the services you are providing. The State of Florida takes licensing very seriously, especially medical licenses. More information on the penalties and disciplinary guidelines can be found on the Board of Medicine website.

However, it is important to note these penalties are not set in stone. The Board of Medicine can take into account any number of aggravating or mitigating factors to increase or lesson the penalties set forth in the rules. When you have an experienced health care attorney defending your license, you stand a much better chance of receiving a lower penalty, or even of getting the complaint against you dismissed.

Should you have any questions or would like additional information about the Board of Medicine investigation/disciplinary process,  please feel free to contact the law firm of Howell, Buchan & Strong, Attorneys at Law at 850-877-7776 to set up your FREE no-obligation consultation with attorney Jeff Howell or attorney Rickey Strong today. DOH and the Board of Medicine have experienced attorneys on their side.  Shouldn’t you!