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Give Your Doctor a Checkup!
California Department of Consumer Affairs Highlights Public Health Week (April 4-10) With a Reminder for Consumers to Check the Licenses of Their Health Care Providers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2005
The California Department of Consumer Affairs is a one-stop shop for Californians looking to perform a license "checkup" on a doctor, dentist, nurse or scores of other health care professionals.
"It's important for consumers to check if a health care provider is properly licensed because it means they have met minimum professional and educational standards required by the state," said Department of Consumer Affairs Director Charlene Zettel. "Consumers can check the license status quickly through the department's Web site."
The department and its affiliated boards and bureaus license more than 800,000 health care professionals in more than 35 fields — professions from nearly "A" to "Z" that treat patients literally from head to toe. Additionally, the department licenses or registers related health care businesses and schools. Licensed health care professionals include:
- Acupuncturists
- Audiologists
- Chiropractors
- Dental Assistants
- Dental Hygienists
- Dentists
- Hearing Aid Dispensers
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Medical Doctors
- Midwives
- Naturopathic Doctors
- Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Opthalmologists
- Opticians
- Optometrists
- Oral Surgeons
- Orthodontists
- Osteopathic Physicians
- Pharmacists
- Physical Therapists
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Physician Assistants
- Podiatrists
- Psychiatric Technicians
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologist
- Psychological Assistants
- Registered Nurses
- Respiratory Care Practitioner
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Telephone Medical Advice Providers
- Veterinarians
- Veterinary Technicians
- Vocational Nurses
To give your health care provider a license checkup, go to the Department of Consumer Affairs' Web site at www.dca.ca.gov and click on the "License and Complaint History" link or look for the health care provider in the "Search by Profession" list. If you don't have Web access, call 1-800-952-5210.
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