Little Health Law Blog

Our healthcare and business law firm advises physicians and other licensed healthcare providers on professional licensing matters, including medical board investigations. If you are a North Carolina licensee who has received notice that the North Carolina Medical Board (“NCMB” or “the Board”) has received a complaint or other information about you, understanding what comes next—and what the Board expects from you—is an important first step. This post walks through the Board’s investigative process, from initial notice through final Board review.  A separate post will discuss the potential outcomes of an investigation.  If you would like to discuss a medical board matter or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare and business law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

(1) Why the Board Investigates

The NCMB was established to protect the public, and one of its primary tools for doing so is its authority to investigate and discipline licensees whose professional conduct or ability to practice medicine may fall below accepted standards. That authority is granted by the Medical Practice Act (N.C.G.S. Chapter 90).

Complaints and other information come to the Board from a wide range of sources, including patients and their families, other licensees and healthcare professionals, law enforcement, hospitals and other healthcare institutions (which are required to report changes in staff privileges), malpractice insurance carriers (which report professional liability payments), federal and Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. Several of our clients applying for a physician’s license or nurse’s license ask us if their license application can be approved even though they have a prior criminal record. This blog post discusses a bill in the Georgia General Assembly that would require a hearing process before a licensing board denies an application based on the applicant’s criminal record. As of April 29, 2026, the bill has passed both the Georgia House and Senate, has been sent to the Governor, but has not yet become law. If you are planning to apply for a medical license or nursing license or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

Senate Bill (SB 207) proposes to provide additional rights to licensing applicants whose applications have been denied based on a prior criminal record. If a licensing board intends to deny an application based on a prior criminal record, the bill requires the board to deny or revoke the license only if the felony or “covered misdemeanor” directly relates to the occupation, but the board cannot deny or Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. Several of our clients have asked if they can administer stem cell treatments as part of their practice. This blog post discusses a bill in the Georgia General Assembly that proposes to regulate stem cell treatments. As of April 29, 2026, the bill has passed both the Georgia House and Senate, has been sent to the Governor, but has not yet become law. If you are planning to administer stem cell treatments as part of your practice or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

House Bill 1275 (HB 1275) proposes to regulate stem cell treatments that are intended for regenerative treatments, not for human research purposes. The bill states that physicians, physician assistants, or nurse practitioners can perform non-FDA-approved stem cell therapies if the therapies are Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. Several of our clients have asked if they can administer ketamine for off-label use, especially for treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine has started being administered in psychiatric practices and ketamine clinics, and states are starting to respond to the proliferation of these ketamine clinics.

On March 31, 2026, our firm wrote a blog post about a bill in the Georgia General Assembly that proposed to regulate ketamine clinics. On May 12, 2026, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed this bill, meaning the bill is set to become law on July 1, 2026, unless the bill gives another effective date for certain portions of it. This updated blog post discusses the new law that will regulate ketamine clinics. If you are planning to administer ketamine in your practice, would like to set up a ketamine clinic, or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

The new law, House Bill 717 (HB 717), will regulate facilities that administer “psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy,” which includes ketamine that is administered intravenously. “Psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy” is defined as any treatment or therapy using psychedelic, dissociative, or other related substances that can produce hallucinations or other similar feelings. The new law will also cover other treatments similar Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. In particular, our med spa clients often ask whether they can hire medical assistants to perform certain procedures within their med spa. Medical assistants have a defined scope of practice under state law, and having medical assistants perform procedures outside their scope of practice carries legal risk. This blog covers some main points about a medical assistant’s scope of practice, particularly in Georgia. If you are a medical assistant considering to open up a med spa, planning to hire a medical assistant as part of your med spa, or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

Medical Assistants Are Able to Perform a Very Limited Amount of Medical Tasks Under Georgia Law, and Most Med Spa Services Are Not Within This Limited Amount of Medical Tasks.

The Georgia Medical Board’s regulations outline what medical tasks medical assistants can do. Under the regulations, physicians can delegate the following tasks to medical assistants: Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many physicians and other providers who receive a notice of peer review action or investigation from their employer. Peer review actions can arise when employers reasonably believe that a physician or other provider has engaged in detrimental conduct or in conduct that may put someone in harm’s way, such as a patient. Our clients in these situations ask what they can do initially to respond to the peer review action. This blog covers several initial steps that physicians and other providers can take when they receive notice of investigation or a peer review action. If you need assistance responding to a peer review action from your employer or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

First Step: Request and Review Your Employer’s Bylaws or Other Policies to Determine What Your Rights Are in Response to a Peer Review Action.

Employers normally have due process policies related to peer review actions, and these policies are usually Continue reading ›

Our healthcare and business law firm advises many mental health practices, telehealth providers, and licensed clinicians on regulatory compliance and practice structuring.  An increasingly common question we receive is whether a mental health practice can offer both licensed clinical services—such as psychotherapy or medication management—and non-clinical coaching services under the same roof.  The answer is generally, yes, but only if the two services are carefully and consistently distinguished in practice documents, communications, and clinical workflows.  This blog post explains why the coaching-therapy distinction matters and what practices must do to maintain it.  If you would like to discuss practice structuring for your mental health practice or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare and business law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com.  You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

(1) What Is the Difference Between Coaching and Therapy?

Psychotherapy and other licensed clinical mental health services are regulated services.  In Florida, for example, psychotherapy may be provided by a licensed clinical social worker, licensed mental health counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, or a licensed physician or physician assistant operating within their authorized scope of practice.  These services are governed by professional licensing statutes, including Chapter 491 and Continue reading ›