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SCCMS Patient/Physician Mediation Service
The Santa Cruz County Medical Society (SCCMS) is a non-profit, professional association of physicians dedicated to maintaining quality medical care and improving patient relations. SCCMS has a variety of peer review committee members who volunteer their time towards these goals.
If you have a complaint about a physician’s medical and/or billing practices, we encourage you to personally discuss the issue with your physician. The medical society’s Mediation Committee has often found that open communication between you and your physician, or his/her office staff, often results in the resolution of most problems.
If the treating physician is not an SCCMS member, we are unable to provide mediation services. Contact the Medical Society to determine whether or not your physician is a member or check our online Physician Locator .
The medical society’s ability to be of service will depend upon the willingness of the physician and the patient to participate in our mediation process. All recommendations by the Mediation Committee are advisory only. While the SCCMS will attempt to mediate this dispute, it has no authority to take action against a physician’s license. The Medical Board of California is the only authority in the state that may take disciplinary action against the license of a physician.
One of the goals of the SCCMS Mediation Committee is to resolve conflicts before they escalate into litigation. Therefore, the committee cannot review your complaint if:
- a lawsuit has been undertaken
- your complaint was filed with the Medical Board of California or
- a disputed fee is in the hands of a collection agency.
All peer review committee proceedings, including those of the Mediation Committee, are confidential and will not be discussed outside of the normal committee proceedings.
Please download and complete the SCCMS Patient Grievance Reporting Form. Please mail the completed form to:
Santa Cruz County Medical Society
Attention: Mediation Committee
1975 Soquel Drive Suite 215
Santa Cruz CA 95065-1821
Note: The SCCMS Mediation Committee meets on an as-needed basis. Processing of complaints may take several weeks.
Quality of care complaints against physicians who are not members of Santa Cruz County Medical Society will be referred to the Medical Board of California. The toll-free number of the Medical Board is 1-800-633-2322. To download their Consumer Complaint form with instructions, go to http://www.mbc.ca.gov/Form_07I-61.pdf.
Correspondence can be sent to:
Medical Board of California
1426 Howe Avenue, Suite 54
Sacramento, CA 95825-3236
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