The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled it didn’t have enough information to rule on a case involving a doctor who sued the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners for revealing it had initially denied him a license to practice here.
Iowa Freedom of Information Council executive director Kathleen Richardson says the "practical result" of the Supreme Court’s decision "is that that there will be less information about doctors available for Iowa patients." Richardson says the licensing process for physicians should be as "open and transparent as possible" and she saluted the Board of Medical Examiners for its conduct in this particular case.
A doctor who eventually got a license to practice in Iowa asked the board to keep secret its initial decision denying his license application. The board refused, saying their actions were a matter of public record. The doctor sued. A district court ruled the board’s initial denial was not a final decision and should be kept secret.
The Supreme Court ruled it couldn’t decide the case because "critical information" they needed wasn’t filed.