State auditors say they were blocked from completing a thorough audit of the North Carolina Medical Board's investigations into physician misconduct, public radio station WUNC reported Jan. 12.
The audit was initiated to review how the board handled complaints against medical providers and what kinds of discipline it enacted.
Auditors said they received limited or no information for more than 95 percent of the investigations the board performed between July 2019 and June 2021. However, even with limited information, auditors noted examples where physicians kept practicing for months even after arrests or criminal convictions, including sexual assault convictions.
Auditors pointed to these examples to illustrate "why legislators and the public need assurance that the board's investigations are protecting the public," according to the report.