- Salary
- $12+/hr
- Location
- Territorywide (STT/STX/STJ), VI, VI, US
- Department
- Healthcare
- Education
- Certification
- Source
- GovernmentJobs
Description
*** Board Members will be paid $100.00 / meeting***
Under special appointment by the Governor, the board of Medical Examiners was created to regulate the practice of medicine in the Virgin Islands. The length of terms on the Board must be set to permit the development of effective skill and experience by members. Members of the Board shall receive a stipend of $100 for each meeting of the Board and reimbursement for expenses incurred in attending Board meetings. Members must appear before the legislative body for confirmation.
Members of the Board, whether appointed or elected, shall serve staggered terms to ensure continuity in accordance with Virgin Islands Code Title 3, Chapter 23 Department of Health § 415 and Title 27 (Professions and Occupations) Chapter 1 (Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Nurse-Midwifery Subchapter I – Board of Medical Examiners § 3.
The Virgin Islands Board of Medical Examiners includes the following:
- The Board of Dental Examiners
- The Board of Pharmacy
- The Board of Nurse Licensure
- The Board of Optometrical Examiners
- The Board of Physical Therapy
- The Board of Chiropractic Examiners
- The Board of Podiatry Examiners
- The Board of Surgery
Enforces the provisions of this chapter.
Selects and administers licensing examination(s).
Evaluates medical education and training of applicants.
Evaluates previous professional performance of applicants.
Issues or denies initial licenses.
Approves or denies applications for license renewal based on the evaluation of adverse information, if any, relating to applicant's fitness, performance or practice.
Develops and implements methods to identify physicians who are in violation of the Medical Practice Act.
Receives, reviews and investigates complaints against practitioners for whose licensure they are responsible, and take appropriate disciplinary action, including censure, probation, suspension or revocation of license when facts are substantiated to support such action.
Reviews and investigates reports received from law enforcement agencies, health care organizations, governmental agencies, insurers and other entities having information pertinent to the professional performance of licensees.
Issues subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum, administer oaths, receive testimony and conduct hearings.
Disciplines licensees found in violation of the Medical Practice Act.
Institutes actions in its own name and enjoin violators of the Medical Practice Act.
Establishes appropriate fees and charges to support active and effective pursuit of its legal responsibilities.
Develops, adopts and submits to the Commissioner of Health its budget.
Develops educational programs to facilitate licensee awareness of provisions contained in the Medical Practice Act and to facilitate public awareness of the role and function of state medical boards.
Establishes by rule a mechanism, which at the Board's discretion, may involve cooperation with and/or participation by one or more Board-approved professional organizations, for the identification and monitored treatment of licensees who are dependent on or abuse alcohol or other addictive substances which have the potential to impair.
Establishes by rule a mechanism by which licensees who believe they abuse or may be dependent on or addicted to alcohol or other addictive substances that have the potential to impair, and who have not been identified by the Board through other sources of information, will be encouraged to report themselves voluntarily to the Board and/or, at the Board's discretion, to a professional organization approved by the Board to seek assistance and monitored treatment.
Reports all final disciplinary actions, license denials and voluntary license limitations or surrenders related to physicians, with any accompanying license limitations or surrenders related to physicians, with any accompanying Board orders, findings of fact and conclusions of law, to the Board Action Data Bank of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States the Commissioner of Health and to any other data repository required by law, and report all such actions, denials and limitations or surrenders related to other licensees, with the same supporting documentation, to the appropriate national practitioner data repositories recognized by the Board or required by law.
Acts to halt the unlicensed or illegal practice of medicine and to seek penalties against those engaged in such practices.
Institutes proceedings in courts of competent jurisdiction to enforce its orders and the provisions of this statute.
Recommends to the Legislature those changes in or amendments to this statute that it determines would benefit the health, safety and welfare of the public.
The Board of Medical Examiners
- Four physicians licensed to practice in the Virgin Islands; two of whom must reside in the district of the St. Croix and two in the district of St. Thomas and St. John.
- Three members from the Virgin Islands community of recognized ability and integrity in non-medical professions; one of whom must reside on St. Croix, one on St. Thomas and one on St. John.
NECESSARY SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS:
All medical professional members of the Board shall hold full and unrestricted medical licenses in the territory, shall be persons of recognized professional ability and integrity, and shall have resided and practiced in the jurisdiction long enough to have become familiar with policies and practice in the jurisdiction.
Each board shall elect annually one of its members to serve as its Chairman; provided that the Governor shall designate the first Chairman of each board initially appointed under this section. All members may be removed by the Governor for cause.
FACTOR 2- GUIDELINES
Members of the Board, whether appointed or elected, shall serve staggered terms to ensure continuity. The length of terms on the Board must be set to permit the development of effective skill and experience by members. Members of the Board shall receive a stipend of $100 for each meeting of the Board and reimbursement for expenses incurred in attending Board meetings.
FACTOR 3- COMPLEXITY
A member of the Board is subject to removal only when the member:
- ceases to be qualified;
- is found guilty of a felony or an unlawful act involving moral turpitude by a court of competent jurisdiction;
- is found guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in relation to the member's Board duties by a court of competent jurisdiction;
- is found mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction;
- fails to attend three successive Board meetings without just cause as determined by the Board or, if a new member, fails to attend a new member's training program without just cause as determined by the Board;
- is found in violation of the Medical Practice Act; or
- is found in violation of the conflict of interest or ethics law.
FACTOR 4- SCOPE AND EFFECT
The Virgin Islands Board of Medical Examiners was created to regulate the practice of medicine in the Virgin Islands in accordance with this statute and to otherwise enforce this statute.
The duty of determining a person's initial and continuing qualification and fitness for the practice of medicine, of proceeding against the unprofessional, improper, incompetent, unlawful, fraudulent, deceptive or unlicensed practice of medicine, and of enforcing this statute is hereby delegated to the Board. That duty must be discharged in accordance with this statute. Interpretation of powers is necessary so that the powers conferred on the Board by this statute be liberally construed to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of this territory.
FACTOR 5- WORK ENVIRONMENT
Telephone or other telecommunication conferences are an acceptable form of Board meeting for the purpose of taking emergency action to enforce the Medical Practice Act if the president alone or another officer and two Board members believe the situation precludes another form of meeting. The Board may establish procedures by which its committees may meet by telephone or other telecommunication conference system to take emergency action.
