Florida Department of Health, Medical Quality Assurance, and Florida Board of Nursing

How the official source says to file

• Use the Florida Health Care Complaint Portal linked from the Department's complaint page. Portal contents could not be inspected during this check; no submission was attempted.
• Provide supporting copies of medical records, correspondence, contracts and other relevant documents as instructed. The Department says the patient or representative is responsible for requesting records.
• Licensed-practitioner complaints cannot be filed by phone. The ordinary statutory route is a signed written complaint; anonymous reports have separate legal conditions.

Supporting guidance: Florida DOH complaints and enforcement ↗Florida Statutes §456.073 ↗

What this route may not provide

Department action is administrative, including reprimand, practice restrictions, education, fines or license discipline. It cannot represent a consumer to recover fees or obtain remedies for injuries.

Supporting guidance: Florida DOH complaints and enforcement ↗

Do not guess about confidentiality

An anonymous written complaint may be investigated if legally sufficient, alleging a substantial violation, and preliminarily believed true. Anonymous filers cannot receive updates. Confidentiality generally lasts until 10 days after probable cause, or an earlier waiver by the subject; the practitioner ordinarily receives the complaint during investigation.

Supporting guidance: Florida DOH complaints and enforcement ↗Florida Statutes §456.073 ↗

General six-year administrative-complaint limit, with exceptions.

Florida Statutes §456.073(13) generally requires an administrative complaint within six years after the incident, not merely a consumer report by then. The limit does not bar cases involving criminal actions, controlled-substance diversion, sexual misconduct or impairment. Fraud or concealment preventing discovery can extend the period, capped at 12 years. Ask MQA promptly how this applies to your facts.

Supporting guidance: Florida DOH complaints and enforcement ↗Florida Statutes §456.073 ↗

What may happen after filing

Consumer Services screens legal sufficiency. Investigative staff gather information, prosecution reviews the case, and probable-cause findings can lead to an administrative complaint, settlement or hearing and Board action. A complaint may also close without discipline.

Supporting guidance: Florida enforcement process ↗

Prepare a reviewable submission

State the concern you want reviewed, then add a short chronology, best supporting records, factual consequences, and a specific request for review.