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Washington Law Requires Public Alerts on Doctor Misconduct, But Notifications Often Delayed

Despite a unique legal mandate for proactive disclosure, Washington state frequently delays or omits public announcements about doctors accused of serious misconduct.

Jul 8, 2026, 10:49 AM ProPublica

Washington Law Saysperson It Can Take Monthstopic Washingtontopic Federation of State Medical Boardstopic Washington Department of Healthorganization Washington Medical Commissionorganization But Notifications Often Delayedtopic Doctor Misconductperson KUOWorganization Washington Law Requires Public Alertstopic But Seth Rosenbergperson Seth Rosenbergperson

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Washington state law mandates that regulators issue press releases whenever formal allegations are filed against doctors, a requirement unique among states according to the Federation of State Medical Boards. This law was designed to proactively inform the public about doctors accused of wrongdoing without leaving the responsibility to patients to seek out the information.

Experts commend Washington for the breadth of information it makes available online about doctors facing allegations. However, an investigation by KUOW and ProPublica reveals that the state often fails to promptly alert the public to serious misconduct allegations. Announcements can take months to be released and sometimes are only issued after cases are resolved.

For example, Washington Medical Commission records allege that in 2023, a doctor named Watson engaged in non-consensual sexual misconduct with a subordinate. Despite the severity, public notification was not immediate. Similarly, a woman accused Dr. Mulholland of inappropriate conduct during an appointment on May 1, 2025, just days after formal allegations were filed against him.

The Washington Department of Health, which handles sexual misconduct cases not requiring medical expertise, admitted it failed to publish bulletins on 30 enforcement actions since 2016 but stated it has recently corrected this issue.

Administrative and employment law attorney Seth Rosenberg criticized the notifications for lacking meaningful detail, noting they typically include only names, dates, and locations without describing the charges.

This gap between legal intent and practice raises concerns about patient safety and transparency in Washington.

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ProPublica: Washington Law Says to Alert the Public When Doctors Are Accused of Misconduct. It Can Take Months.

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Washington Law Says to Alert the Public When Doctors Are Accused of Misconduct. It Can Take Months.

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ProPublica Captured Jul 8, 2026, 10:40 AM · Original story

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