Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline

The Department of Health and/or the Boards are granted the authority to investigate and adjudicate complaints of "unprofessional conduct" on the part of any person licensed by the Department of Health. Unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to issues related to standards of care of a given health profession, as well as issues regarding abuse/neglect, any willful misconduct in the practice of health care and/or any criminal misconduct on the part of the Health Care Professional. Examples of acts which constitute unprofessional conduct can be found in Rhode Island General Laws specific to each profession.

If you believe that any licensed Health Care Professional has acted unprofessionally, you may submit a written complaint to the Complaint Unit. The Boards require that all complaints be in writing and signed (some Boards require a notarized signature). You may mail your letter and any supporting documents to the:

A Complaint Form is available for you to download (Below), which will help you to format your complaint with all of the information necessary for the Complaint Unit to process your complaint. If you do not have a printer available, you may call the Complaint Unit, at (401) 222-5200, and request that a form be mailed to you.

If you have any questions regarding the complaint process, the Complaint Unit may be contacted during regular business hours.

Please be assured that your confidential health care information will remain strictly confidential and will be used by the Complaint Unit and the Board(s) to adjudicate the allegation of unprofessional conduct only.

1. All complaints are reviewed and processed by the Complaint Unit.

2. The complaint is referred to the appropriate Board or Division within the Department of Health, who will make the determination of whether or not the complaint falls within their jurisdiction as defined by law.

3. You will be notified in writing of the Board or Division's determination regarding jurisdiction of your complaint and their decision to open or not open an investigation pursuant to your complaint.

4. The Investigative process related to the complaint will begin upon authorization of the Board/Division. The health care provider(s) named in the complaint will be notified of the opening of an investigation, he/she will be provided with and unedited copy of your letter of complaint (unless otherwise directed) and requested to respond within a specified period of time to the allegation(s) made.

5. The investigative process may be lengthy as medical record and other pertinent information may need to be subpoenaed. By law, all aspects of the investigation are kept strictly confidential. The Board/Division will provide you with periodic updates and contact you if any additional information is needed.

6. You may be requested to appear by the staff or Board as part of the fact-finding process and/or to give testimony at an Administrative Hearing.

7. After a thorough, impartial investigation, the Board/Division will render their finding in regard to the complaint and notify you in writing regarding their decision.

1. Print a copy of the "Complaint Form" (Below) to submit to the Complaint Unit.*

2. If completed manually, type or print the requested information in black ink.

3. Complete ALL questions.

4. Describe the complaint in a clear and concise manner.

5. Please enclose all supporting documentation such as records, letters, etc. with your complaint.

6. Print a copy of the "Authorization for Release of Information Form" (Below), fill in and sign, and attach to your complaint, as this will facilitate the investigation of your complaint.*

7. Please sign and date the forms.

8. Please note that it is required by law that ALL complaints to the Board of Nursing must be signed and notarized.

9. Submit the completed forms to:

*If you prefer, you can edit/add requested information to the Microsoft Word Document (.doc), or the Adobe Acrobat Document, prior to printing and mailing the completed Complaint and Authorization for Release of Information Forms to us.

NOTE: The .pdf version of the forms require Adobe Acrobat Reader, then you can enter the information into the forms prior to printing.

Since ORIGINAL SIGNATURES are required on each form, you MUST PRINT A HARDCOPY AND MAIL IN THE FORM regardless of which format you use.

For your convenience, these Forms are available in either .doc or .pdf format

Complaint Form (.doc)

Complaint Form

Authorization for Release of Information Form (.doc)

Authorization for Release of Information Form