McIntyre & Barns

If you receive a letter from the Department of Health stating that they are investigating your practice because of a complaint, you need to call us. The biggest mistake providers make is to wait and attempt to handle matters on their own without help.

If an investigator calls or writes and asks you for a statement in response to a complaint, do not write it by yourself. What you put in that statement will be a binding admission in further proceedings. You don't want to inadvertently admit you did something wrong simply because you didn't say it the right way. The Washington Department of Health has criteria it uses to decide what sanctions to impose. Your statement needs to include factors that support the lowest sanction possible or no sanctions at all.

If an investigator calls and wants to set up a meeting with you to discuss a complaint, you should contact us. You do not want to discuss a complaint without help. What you say to the investigator will end up in a report, which goes to the Board for consideration of charges against your license or sanctions.

If you have been terminated from your job, immediately request a copy of your personnel file. If you were told during the termination that your employer is reporting you to the Department of Health or to the DSHS, reach out to us for help. A report means that there will be an investigation and you need to protect yourself.

If you receive a letter from DSHS stating that they have made a finding that you abused a vulnerable adult, let us help you. It is very difficult to get DSHS to withdraw findings and the burden will be entirely on you. Don't try to do this alone.