RE: This is a verbatim copy of the transcript. I believe that you can register with clerk of court to look at the complete transcript.
From the cross examination that you presented, it only tells us that he let his board certification lapse, not that he is incompetent to practice medicine. In fact, it tells us that he was certified before but refuses to do so again after the certification lapsed.
Apparently, Balbona’s refusal to get recertification seems to be because he refuses to pay money ( he calls it extortion. I don’t know how expensive it is to recertify and how many more exams one has to take. He seems to be saying it costs tens of thousands just to do that).
Let me ask you this... is it necessary to be board certified in Florida to be allowed to practice medicine? Is there a state law?
If it is, then yes, he’s breaking the law. If it isn’t, I don’t see why we should question his ability or competence to practice medicine.
No physician is required to carry boards, however many insurance companies require it. He represents himself as boarded, but there is no recognized board that grants him is certification. Board certification requires extensive ongoing life long learning, and given that he demonstrates no such CME since 2003 it is difficult to imagine he is current
I suppose what bothers me most is that he obfuscates and this calls into question his motives. If you skirt your way around stating you are boarded when you know damn well you are not — it becomes an integrity and knowledge question
What he represents of himself is false, and according to many of my colleagues down there — Florida takes a very dim view of such fraudulent representation — I expect he will see an appearance before the Florida board based on my understanding of the issue — and th aboard will likely take him to task for being shady.