The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine is seeking physicians interested in serving as expert reviewers in cases involving allegations of substandard care. The expert review entails examining medical records and related documents and then providing an informed opinion in a written report regarding whether the treatment provided complied with the applicable standard of care.
Serving as an expert consultant for the Board of Registration in Medicine presents a unique opportunity for you to serve the residents of the Commonwealth. If you are board certified, hold an active Full license, and are interested in serving as an expert for the Board, please contact:
Lisa Fuccione, Director of Enforcement
Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine
lisa.l.fuccione@mass.gov
The information below is designed to answer some of the questions you might have about serving as an expert in BORIM cases.
Serving as an Expert
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time commitment?
The time involved varies from case to case as it is often based on the volume of records, number of patients involved etc. On average, an individual case may require between 10-20 hours of work. This estimate includes the time necessary to speak with the assigned attorney and investigator, review the records and draft a report summarizing whether the physician or physicians under investigation met the standard of care. Cases where an evidentiary hearing is held often require additional hours as experts in those matters must participate in preparing for the hearing and testifying before a magistrate at the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA). The number of case assignments an expert is asked to review per year varies but generally does not exceed four or five.
Can the work be performed remotely?
Most, if not all, meetings with the assigned team are conducted via video conference. Any records that need to be reviewed can be sent directly to you via a secure portal, which you can log into and view from wherever you are located. In cases where an evidentiary hearing is required, it is often possible for experts to testify remotely; however, the magistrate assigned to the case may require experts in some matters to appear for the hearing in person. Our evidentiary hearings are held in either Malden or Wakefield, MA.
Will the physician under investigation know that I am reviewing the matter?
BORIM investigations are confidential and the name of the expert reviewer along with the written expert report are not provided to the physician under investigation unless the Board issues a Statement of Allegations and refers the matter for an evidentiary hearing at DALA. If you review a case that is not referred to DALA then your name and involvement in the case would not be disclosed to the physician under investigation and/or his or her attorney.
However, if the matter is referred to DALA, the physician under investigation is entitled to a copy of your written report, a copy of your CV and a summary of your anticipated testimony. The physician is also entitled to have his or her attorney cross-examine you at a hearing regarding your opinions of the care and treatment provided. Since it is not possible to predict in advance which cases will require an evidentiary hearing, it is best for expert reviewers to understand their name and opinions may be provided to the physician or physicians under investigation at some point in the case.
What is the general process involved for completing expert review?
When Enforcement staff have an investigation that falls within your specialty, they will contact you to see if you are interested in taking the case. The assigned team will provide you with a brief description of the case (number of patients involved, volume of records, basic areas of concern) and inquire as to whether you have worked with or know of the physician or physicians under investigation to ensure that a conflict does not exist with you serving as the reviewer. If there is no conflict present and you are interested in taking the case, the team will send you the necessary documents to complete a contract for that particular matter. Once the contract is approved (typically 2 weeks from submission date), the medical records and any relevant documents will be provided to you via a secure portal. After you have completed your review of the records, the team will schedule a video call/ phone call to discuss your preliminary thoughts. Following your discussions with the assigned team you will draft a report summarizing your review of the case and email it to the team. There is then a follow up call to discuss the draft report before it is “finalized” with your signature and the date. The team will then remain in contact with you to discuss whether the case will resolve without any further work on your part or is being transferred to DALA for a hearing.
How long do cases take to resolve?
The time involved in resolving a case varies depending on the complexity of the matter and whether an evidentiary hearing is required. The assigned team members will keep you updated on the progress of the case and will do their best to work with your schedule.
Other information to consider
Confidentiality
BORIM investigations are confidential and the information obtained during the review cannot be shared with anyone, including support staff for the expert reviewers as these individuals are not listed on the contract signed by the expert reviewer. While support staff can certainly act as a liaison for scheduling a time to speak with Enforcement staff, they cannot serve as a liaison to send a copy of your report, download the necessary records, submit invoices etc.
Likelihood of a Hearing
Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict which matters will require an evidentiary hearing. With that said, Expert reviewers who contract to review BORIM matters need to be prepared for the possibility of testifying at an evidentiary hearing.
| Date published: | September 21, 2026 |
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| Last updated: | September 21, 2026 |