New York disciplines roughly 200 physicians and other clinicians a year. An analysis of 8,678 state misconduct actions shows what actually gets a license restricted, and how often the conduct first came to light in another state.
The New York State Board for Professional Medical Conduct, a state board that disciplines physicians and physician assistants through the Department of Health's Office of Professional Medical Conduct, publishes disciplinary actions going back to 1990. This analysis covers a June 24, 2026 snapshot with 9,232 board actions in that record, of which 8,678 are disciplinary. It asks what categories appear in the board's written descriptions when a New York clinician is disciplined.
What gets a New York clinician disciplined
Share of the 8,678 disciplinary actions that involve each type of conduct.
| Out-of-state discipline | 42.9% |
|---|---|
| Criminal conviction | 38.3% |
| Negligence or incompetence | 27.2% |
| Fraud or false filings | 15.9% |
| Substance abuse | 15.5% |
| Inappropriate prescribing | 11.3% |
| Inadequate records | 9.5% |
| Sexual misconduct | 3.7% |
Categories are derived by keyword from the board's own written description of each action and can overlap, since a single action often involves more than one type of conduct. They will not sum to 100 percent.
Discipline often starts somewhere else
The category with the 42.9 percent share is discipline that began in another state. 43% of New York's disciplinary actions in this snapshot reference an action by another state's medical board or licensing authority, meaning the New York record often reflects reciprocal or related action after another licensing authority acted.
Analysis. This pattern should be read cautiously. Honoring another state's disciplinary finding can be appropriate, and the dataset does not show why New York acted when it did. The figure shows how often the written action description references another jurisdiction, not whether New York should have acted sooner.
Disciplinary actions over time
New York Board for Professional Medical Conduct, by year of action.
| 2010 | 275 | 7.5% |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 251 | 6.8% |
| 2012 | 221 | 6% |
| 2013 | 305 | 8.3% |
| 2014 | 221 | 6% |
| 2015 | 217 | 5.9% |
| 2016 | 304 | 8.3% |
| 2017 | 274 | 7.4% |
| 2018 | 201 | 5.5% |
| 2019 | 198 | 5.4% |
| 2020 | 220 | 6% |
| 2021 | 192 | 5.2% |
| 2022 | 205 | 5.6% |
| 2023 | 212 | 5.8% |
| 2024 | 197 | 5.3% |
| 2025 | 190 | 5.2% |
The board has averaged roughly 200 to 250 disciplinary actions a year, with no clear upward or downward trend over the past decade. 2026 is a partial year.
Crime, negligence, and impairment
Beyond out-of-state cases, 38% of actions involve a criminal conviction, 27% cite negligence or incompetence, and 16% each involve fraud or false filings and substance abuse or impairment. Sexual misconduct appears in about 4% of actions.
Analysis. The mix is a reminder that a medical license can be restricted for conduct that has nothing to do with a specific patient injury, from a drunk-driving conviction to insurance fraud. For patients, a disciplinary history is a public record worth checking, and New York lets anyone look up a physician's record before an appointment.
What this means for patients
A disciplinary action does not by itself prove that a particular patient was harmed, but a pattern of negligence findings, impairment, or repeat discipline is public information worth checking. New York publishes physician backgrounds and conduct histories through the state's online physician profile. If you believe a doctor's negligence caused you or a family member harm, a medical-malpractice attorney can review the records and the clinician's history.
If you or a family member may have been harmed by a doctor's error in New York, the team at Porter Law Group can review the medical records and your options at no cost.
Methodology
Figures come from the New York State Department of Health Professional Medical Conduct Board Actions dataset, reviewed June 24, 2026. The Office of Professional Medical Conduct is the Department of Health office that investigates and prosecutes physician misconduct, and the Board for Professional Medical Conduct issues disciplinary actions. The snapshot used here records 9,232 actions since 1990. Of these, 554 are marked as not disciplinary in nature and are excluded, leaving 8,678 disciplinary actions. Conduct categories are derived by keyword from the board's written description of each action and can overlap, so they do not sum to 100 percent. An action is counted as out-of-state or reciprocal when it references another state's board or licensing authority, or a duly authorized disciplinary agency. The live source dataset may change as new actions are added. This report presents aggregate statistics only and does not name or characterize any individual clinician.
