DENVER -- Contact7 Investigates has spent a lot of time exploring the state’s offerings for consumers to verify the licenses and disciplinary histories of the people who offer medical and mental health care in Colorado.
After all, we’ve spent months exposing people without licenses accused of impersonating health care professionals.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can do your homework before you trust someone with your health.
If you know the professional’s name and the profession they are licensed in, start with the state’s Health Professional Check:
Click "Search for a Profile" then type in the person's name and select their profession:
If the person you're looking for has ever been licensed, they should come up in this search. You can click on a profile that shows when the person received their license, if it’s active, when it is set to expire, their license number, and a listing of any board or disciplinary actions.
From there you can click the “health profile” button for more detailed information, including whether or not the provider has ever been denied malpractice insurance, whether or not they have been convicted of a crime, and more.
Click here for more on what the categories in that more detailed profile mean.
If the provider does have disciplinary actions listed, you have to go to a separate site to read the details. Head to DORA’s public documents site and type in the individual’s name.
This is also the website you would also use to find documents that would show if someone has been given civil orders by the state to stop unlicensed practice.
If you’re not sure of the name or the profession the person might be licensed under, or if you’re simply trying to find a list of everyone who is licensed in a certain profession, the state’s Verify a License tool is also helpful:
Keep in mind that professionals will occasionally be licensed under different names than what they present professionally. If you can’t initially find someone by typing in their full name, try just the last name, or just the first name, and try to narrow it down.
If you still can’t find someone, ask them their license number. They should have no problem providing it, as the information is public record.
If you suspect something might be wrong and someone might be unlicensed, or you feel you have not been treated appropriately, you can file a complaint online:
