ENFORCEMENT AT A GLANCE MQA stands at the heart of Florida’s health care system as a vigilant guardian, upholding the regulations defined in section 20.43 and Chapter 456, Florida Statutes. MQA’s Bureau of Enforcement operates with a mission centered on public health, safety, and welfare, comprising the Consumer Services Unit (CSU), Investigative Services Unit (ISU), and Compliance Management Unit (CMU). These units work together to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints filed against health care practitioners and facility owners. In Quarter Four, MQA received a total of 11,651 complaints, completed 1,435 investigations, and inspected 4,463 health care facilities. MQA also identified 1,403 cases deemed legally sufficient for potential prosecution and found 431 cases of probable cause. The count of open enforcement cases decreased 2% from 35,605 cases in Quarter Three to 34,932 cases at the end of Quarter Four. CSU managed the majority of cases (23,573) compared to CMU, which managed 5,566 open cases, Prosecution Services Unit (PSU) which managed 4,958, and ISU which managed 835. Section 456.074, Florida Statutes, grants PSU the authority to order an immediate stop to activities deemed an imminent threat to the public. These directives, referred to as Emergency Orders, are issued by the State Surgeon General. Whereas Emergency Restriction Orders (EROs) establish limits on a practitioner's professional activities under suspicion, Emergency Suspension Orders (ESOs) temporarily revoke the practitioner's license according to the order's terms. CMU CSU PSU ISU 35,605 OPEN CASES 23,373 5,566 4,958 835 Figure 5: Complaints Received In Thousands Q4 • Quarterly Performance Report • FY 2023-24 13
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