Prior to the establishment of the Georgia PHP, almost every physician or licensed veterinarian who developed any substance-related disorder was reported to the board. The medical board or the veterinary board would respond by requiring that physician or veterinarian to sign an agreement not to practice. Once their initial treatment was complete, such individuals made an appearance before the medical board or veterinary board and were asked to sign a consent order prior to return to practice. The consent order was essentially the medical board or veterinary board “consenting” to allow such a physician or veterinarian to return to practice as long as they agreed to stipulations regarding their illness. These consent orders were either “private” or “public.”

Initially, the private consent orders were felt to be non-discoverable documents by third-party payers and credentialing bodies. Unfortunately, over the years these agencies found ways of requiring physicians or veterinarians to report these private agreements. Physicians or veterinarians under private or public consent orders often were ejected from insurance panels, denied malpractice coverage, or even had their board certifications removed.

With the institution of the Georgia PHP, many of these onerous and punitive responses can be prevented. Physicians and veterinarians who enroll with the Georgia PHP are provided confidential care in the majority of cases. This confidential care circumvents the need for legal action by the board and prevents our participants from having to sign a “consent order.”

Unfortunately, the PHP cannot provide this anonymous care to one hundred percent of its participants. A few individuals may have legal or other issues which prevent the PHP from providing confidential support. In such cases, we work hand-in-hand with the Georgia Medical Board and the Georgia Board of Veterinary Medicine to help maintain your health. In these cases, our participants will have a consent order from the Georgia Medical Board or the Georgia Board of Veterinary Medicine and the support of the Georgia PHP.