The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) is being scrutinized for hiring medical professionals with checkered disciplinary histories to staff the state's correctional facilities. This revelation has sparked concerns that SCDC inmates don't receive quality healthcare during their incarceration. Recently, an inmate had to have his leg amputated because he received substandard care from the SCDC. Situations like that have led to prison rights activists wondering if the SCDC should elevate its hiring standards.

Are you a medical professional facing license discipline? Even minor sanctions or discipline by your state's medical board can do permanent harm to your reputation and negatively impact your career. Just remember, you don't have to accept board discipline without a fight. You have the right to due process and to defend your good name. We can help. Call the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team at 888-535-3686 or contact us online today.

South Carolina Department of Corrections Defends the Practice

Although it may come as a surprise to some people that the SCDC is employing medical staff who have faced previous license discipline, perhaps it shouldn't. The state medical boards that license doctors and nurses have rigorous qualification standards. They also have codes of conduct that licensees must adhere to for the duration of their careers. These high standards standards leave many of the nation's best hospitals and HMOs struggling to fill all their openings.

That makes finding qualified, licensed medical staff to work in a correctional environment even more difficult. The SCDC is a state agency that pays less than many private employers, and correctional facilities are simply not places where many people want to work. With those factors in play, the SCDC has little choice but to expand its search parameters to include some medical professionals with disciplinary histories.

South Carolina DOC spokesperson Chrysti Shain defended the practice in an interview with the Post and Courier, when she said, “SCDC believes in giving people second chances. We ask employers and the public to do this every day. We also follow this practice when hiring medical professionals.” It's also important to take note of the fact that many of the medical professionals currently working for the SCDC have already restored their licenses to good standing.

Second Chances Happen, But You May Have to Fight for Them

You worked for a lifetime to get your medical license. It's an unfortunate reality that one misstep or one 3-2 vote by a medical board on a minor infraction can cost you your license. That's why you should always act quickly and decisively after discovering you are being investigated. Exercising your due process rights and contacting the Professional License Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm is your best defense against board discipline.

We have successfully defended doctors and nurses from board discipline nationwide. Retaining your license or negotiating a path to restoring chance is the only way you can take advantage of second-chance opportunities. You may be able to work your way back into a private hospital or HMO, but only if you keep your license! Call our Professional License Defense Team at 888-535-3686 or contact us online today.