Patient safety depends on medical providers and hospitals being held accountable when they do harm. When there are no consequences for medical negligence, patient care never gets better.  The California agency charged with regulating physicians, the Medical Board of California, too often protects doctors instead of the patients it is supposed to serve. The doctor lobby holds sway in the California legislature too, standing in the way of reform.  Consumer Watchdog partners with patients and families who have been harmed in the health care system to push back against these abuses, reform the Medical Board, and enact patient safety legislation to make health care safer.

Recent Medical Board Releases

Bill To Strengthen Medical Board Oversight of Doctors Passes Final Assembly Policy Committee

Sacramento, CA â€“ Legislation to improve oversight of dangerous doctors and give consumers rights at the Medical Board of California was approved by the California Assembly Business & Professions Committee with a 10-5 vote today despite heavy lobbying in...

California Senate Passes Bill To Strengthen Medical Board Oversight of Doctors 

Sacramento, CA â€“ Legislation to improve physician oversight and give consumers rights at the Medical Board of California was approved by the state Senate 32-1 this week and moves ahead to the Assembly.  The bill, SB 815 by Senator Richard...

Medical Board Bill Needs Additional Patient Rights to Mandate Disclosure and Participation, Yet Includes Provisions That Will Strengthen Doctor Accountability

Sacramento, CA â€“ Proposed legislation would enact important changes to hold dangerous doctors more accountable in California, but excludes crucial reforms that will continue threaten patient safety, said Consumer Watchdog. The bill creates a public member majority on the...

San Diego Doctor Charged with Murder In Patient’s Death Shows Failure Of California’s Doctor Discipline, Patient Disclosure Laws

San Diego, CA -- Patients in California are exposed to harm by dangerous doctors because California law does not quickly discipline or require them to disclose criminal or regulatory charges against them, Consumer Watchdog said today after a San...

Patients’ call for Medical Board reform is front-and-center in Sacramento

Two years ago, and four years before that, and at every legislative review of the Medical Board of California in recent memory, Californians have turned out to tell the legislature the same story: The Medical Board is failing...

Initial Report of Medical Board Enforcement Monitor Confirms Investigation Delays and Failure to Discipline Doctors 

Initial findings of the Medical Board Enforcement Monitor, released this week, confirm that the Medical Board’s investigations of doctors are hamstrung by funding shortfalls and that prosecutions are undermined by a crippling division between investigators and attorneys housed in different agencies.

Advocates from Across the State Testify in Pursuit of Medical Board Reform

At its Quarterly Board meeting last week, multiple members of the state board that regulates doctors for the first time seriously acknowledged activists’ call for the state to respond to complaints of physician negligence by requiring patient interviews...

Consumer Watchdog and Its Volunteer Team of Advocates Fight for Babies’ Rights at the Osteopathic Medical Board

Consumer Watchdog and a volunteer team of advocates attended and participated in last week’s Osteopathic Medical Board Quarterly meeting to testify on issues with the enforcement process, how the board does not provide equal rights for families, and...

Physician Licensing Boards Face Executive Director Leadership Changes at Year End

The Executive Director of the Medical Board of California William Prasifka announced his resignation last week stating that his last day will be December 30, 2022. This announcement came following his performance review which was held during the...

Consumer Watchdog and Its Volunteer Team of Advocates Join Forces at First in Person Medical Board of California Meeting

The Medical Board of California brought their first in-person Quarterly Board meeting, since the pandemic, to Los Angeles this month.  Consumer Watchdog and our team of volunteer advocates participated in person and by teleconference line to voice our...

Recent Patient Safety Videos

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Meet Maria Ibarra Navarrette – Medical Board Reform Advocate
03:30
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Consumer Alert—New Consumer Rights: Patient Impact Statement
02:00
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KGTV-SD (ABC) - San Diego, CA: Doctor Accused of Putting Hidden Camera In A Hospital Restroom
03:22
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Maria Ibarra Navarrette’s testimony to the Medical Board of CA
02:53
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KFMB-SD (CBS) - San Diego, CA: Dental Visit Leads To Hospital Stay
02:51
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KGET - Bakersfield, CA: California Medical Board Meets in Bakersfield to Address Maternal Mortality
02:52
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KBAK (FOX58) - Bakersfield, CA: High Maternal Mortality Rate
02:59
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KERO-BFL (23ABC) – Bakersfield, CA: Maternal Mortality Addressed By Medical Board
03:12
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KERO-BFL (23ABC) – Bakersfield, CA: Pregnancy Care Mistreatment
02:22
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Xavier De Leon Speaks on Baby’s Rights and a Required Interview before Complaints are Dismissed
02:54
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Sandy Perez Shares Her MBC Experience and her Advocacy for all Death Complaint Investigations
02:52
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Sandy Perez Shares Her MBC Experience and her Advocacy for all Death Complaint Investigations
02:52
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CNBC - Last Call: Home Insurance Crisis
06:45
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KOVR-SAC (CBS) - Sacramento, CA: Physician Under Fire For Sexual Battery
02:12
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Tracy Dominguez & Xavier De Leon Patient Testimony
04:01
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Michele Monserratt-Ramos Shares How Her Fight for Change Led to a Medical Board Reform Campaign
03:09
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Denise Johnson Shares her Pursuit for MBC Accountability & for all Death Complaint Investigations
03:06
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Jordan Perez Patient Testimony
02:52
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Carol Bradley Shares Her MBC Experience and the Need for More Input into the Enforcement Process
03:03
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Xavier De Leon Patient Testimony
02:54
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Kimberly Turbin’s Advocacy for Medical Board Reform and Required Interview for Dismissed Complaints
01:53
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KERO-BFL (ABC) - Bakersfield, CA: Crystal Guijarro Rodriguez on the Negligence of Doctors
06:09
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KFMB-SD (CBS) - San Diego, CA: Hundreds Wrongly Told They May Have Cancer
03:20
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KERO-BFL (ABC) - Bakersfield, CA: Larcenia Taylor on the Loss of Her Husband James Taylor
05:13
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KERO-BFL (ABC) - Bakersfield, CA: Monica De La Rosa Speaks About the Loss of her Daughter Sabrina
04:35
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KERO-BFL (ABC) - Bakersfield, CA: Tracy Dominguez Speaks About The Loss of Her Daughter and Grandson
07:22
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KERO-BFL (ABC) - Bakersfield, CA: Michele Ramos Speaks About Loss and Liability in the Medical Field
07:58
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KGET - Consumer Watchdog Advocates Note The Importance of Making Change Within The Healthcare System
02:26
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ABC - Bakersfield, CA; Consumer Watchdog Shows Support in Honor of the Latina Maternal Health Fair
02:53
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KABC- Los Angeles, CA; Pathways Medical in Toluca Lake Owner Falsely Claims to be A Licensed Doctor
02:22
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Spectrum News; CW Argues Senate Bill 815's Proposed Changes Aren't Enough To Protect Patients
02:39
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Larcenia Taylor Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
01:20
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Patricia Plascencia Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
03:00
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Selah O'Connor Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:53
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Sandy Perez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:56
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Selah O'Connor Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:53
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Selena Alvarez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:04
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Judith Gorcey's Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:15
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Xavier De Leon Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:19
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Robert Andrian Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:43
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Evelen Martinez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
00:42
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Michele Monserratt Ramos Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
01:33
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Tracy Dominguez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:11
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Naomi Sweatt Sunset Review Testimony
02:07
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Selena Alvarez Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:00
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Denise Johnson Sunset Review 2023 Testimony
02:11

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