Veterinarians in Texas go through years of education and training to obtain the chops to do the job. And at the end of this long, arduous process comes licensure. The organization that licenses Veterinarians in Texas is the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, which also maintains the integrity of the profession by accepting and prosecuting formal complaints made against licensed practitioners. A complaint can, at times, result in the loss of a veterinarian’s license.
When a complaint is received by the Board, it analyzes the complaint to determine whether it has jurisdiction to investigate the claims made therein. If so, it assigns an investigator to look into the complaint, and simultaneously informs the veterinarian in question of the complaint made against them. This notification permits the veterinarian to respond with their own testimony as to the issues at hand, as well as any testimony by witnesses that may support the veterinarian’s defense and any documents that may back it up.
This very first opportunity to respond is key to the defense of the veterinarian in the complaint process, and even may help to limit the scope of the investigation to come. (After all, an investigation is not by nature limited to the allegations made in the initial complaint—any indication of what the investigator perceives to be wrongdoing may be pursued and punished if the scope is permitted to include it.) Getting the help of a professional license defense attorney with the experience to know what to leave in and what to leave out of this initial response letter is absolutely essential to obtaining the best possible outcome.
If an investigation proceeds, it may fail to show any violations of the law or of professional conduct, in which case the complaint will be closed. But should it provide evidence that a violation has occurred, the case will likely be forwarded to the Board for consideration of disciplinary action. This action may be a penalty such as a reprimand or may be as severe as full revocation of licensure, based on the determined severity of the allegations. But through all of this, a veterinarian has the right to defend their license.
The best way to do this is to obtain the aid of an experienced professional license defense attorney. Call BERTOLINO LLP as soon as you can. The more time we have to create a strong professional license defense, the better the case is likely to go.
We proudly represent licensed professionals across the entire State of Texas. If you are facing disciplinary action for any reason, contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 to schedule a case evaluation. To best serve our clients, we have offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.
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