Whistleblower Protection for Healthcare Providers in Massachusetts
Empowering Healthcare Providers: Massachusetts Whistleblower ProtectionThe healthcare industry plays a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of patients and maintaining the highest standards of care. To uphold these standards, Massachusetts law extends important whistleblower protections to healthcare providers actively involved in patient care. These protections allow healthcare professionals to disclose or object to practices they reasonably believe violate laws, regulations, policies, or professional standards within healthcare facilities without fearing retaliation. In this article, we will delve into the whistleblower protection available to healthcare providers in Massachusetts.
Understanding Whistleblower Protection for Healthcare ProvidersScope of Protection:
Who is Considered a "Health Care Provider"?In the context of whistleblower protection under Massachusetts law, it's crucial to define which workers are considered healthcare providers. The statute defines it as follows:
“an individual who is a licensed health care provider under the provisions of chapter 112" or "any other health care provider who performs or has performed health care related services for and under the control of a health care facility for care-related services." This definition encompasses a wide range of professionals who are licensed and those directly involved in patient care and the delivery of healthcare services within healthcare facilities, even if they are not licensed. While this is not an exhaustive list, healthcare providers may include:
ConclusionWhistleblower protection for healthcare providers in Massachusetts serves as a vital safeguard for upholding patient care standards and ethical practices within healthcare facilities. It empowers healthcare professionals to speak out and object to practices they reasonably believe are in violation of the law or professional standards without fearing retaliation. By understanding their rights under this important law and seeking legal assistance when necessary, healthcare providers can continue to prioritize patient well-being while protecting their own rights in the workplace.
|
We're Here to Help.OR
|
Meet Our Employment Lawyers
Emily Smith-Lee is the owner and founder of slnlaw. She is a 1996 graduate of Boston College Law School. She was previously a partner at the Boston office of a large international firm, where she worked for thirteen years before starting the firm that became slnlaw in 2009. She has been recognized as Massachusetts Superlawyer each year since 2013, and in 2018 earned recognition as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Lawyers of the Year. She has written a book on employment law: Rules of the Road, What You Need to Know About Employment Laws in Massachusetts, and helped thousands of clients on both the employee and employer side with severance and non compete review and negotiation, wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, and advice about employment law generally.
Rebecca Rogers: Rebecca is a 2006 graduate of Boston College Law School, and has worked with slnlaw since 2013. She previously worked as an intellectual property litigation attorney for Fish & Richardson in Boston, Massachusetts, and clerked for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Rebecca has helped clients with wage and hour disputes, employment discrimination and retaliation claims, review and negotiation of severance and non compete agreements, and advice to both employees and employers about navigating complex employment situations.
Jenna Ordway: Jenna is a 2013 graduate of Quinnipiac Law School, and also earned an LLM in Taxation from Boston University in 2015. She has been affiliated with slnlaw since 2011, first as a law clerk and then as an attorney. Jenna has been recognized since 2019 as a "Rising Star" by Massachusetts Superlawyers. Jenna has helped clients with review and negotiation of severance and non compete agreements, wage and hour disputes, employment and discrimination claims, and advice to small business owners about employment law and other business matters.
Elijah Bresley: Eli is a 2014 graduate of Seton Hall Law school, and has worked with slnlaw since 2020. He previously worked for a boutique employment law firm outside of Boston, and then for the Labor and Employment department of a large Boston firm. He also spent a year clerking for the judges of the Superior Court in Hartford, Connecticut. Eli has helped clients on the employee and employer side with all varieties of employment law issues, including employment discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour issues, litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts, and advising employers about employment policies and practices.
Sharleen Tinnin: Sharleen is a 2010 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, and has been with slnlaw since 2023. Prior to joining slnlaw, she worked with King, Tilden, McEttrick & Brink, P.C. on complex civil litigation matters. She previously worked for the United States Department of Justice, and received an "Excellence in Justice" award in 2017. Sharleen has helped clients with wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, review and negotiation of severance agreements, and litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts on employment related issues.
How We Can Help
Our experienced legal team specializes in whistleblower protection for healthcare providers in Massachusetts and can provide you with expert guidance, representation, and support to ensure your rights are protected and help you navigate the complexities of whistleblower claims in the healthcare sector. You can use the button below to schedule a call back from a member of our team, or give us a call at 781-784-2322.
|
|
|
|
|
