Dr. Richard V Dirkes, MD

• State Sanctions
• Federal Sanctions
• Disciplinary Actions

Disciplinary actions are actions taken to punish or restrict physicians who have demonstrated professional misconduct. HealthGrades reports state and federal disciplinary actions (if any) from the previous 5 years except when a physician's license has been revoked or surrendered.

Physicians with a disciplinary action in one state will often move to another state where they may have a clean record. Since HealthGrades painstakingly compiles disciplinary action information from all 50 states, you'll know if a physician has an action in more than one state.

• Is your physician board certified?
• In what specialties is your physician certified to practice?

Certification lets you know that a physician has gone above and beyond what medical licensure requires, receiving additional training and examination to be certified in a particular specialty.

A physician who is not board certified may still be an excellent physician. Some physicians choose not to apply for certification. If you are considering a doctor who is not board certified, it may be important to know why he or she is not certified.

Certification lets you know that a physician has successfully completed an accredited educational program, passed several evaluations, and possesses the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to provide care in the certified specialty. Once certified, physicians must attend continuing medical education programs throughout their careers in order to remain certified.

• Medical School
• Residency Training
• Internships

Physician education and training is demanding and extensive. Continuing medical education is a life-long pursuit due to constant advances and changes in medicine. With HealthGrades, you'll know if your physician is keeping up with all the latest technology.

The longer a physician has been practicing, the more likely that he or she is experienced with a wide variety of issues. A more recent graduate, however, may have in-depth knowledge about medical advances for treating a specific condition.

• HealthGrades Five-Star and Recognized Physicians
• Bridges to Excellence® Recognitions
• Physician Reported Awards & Recognitions
• Memberships & Interests
• Publications & Media Appearances

To ensure that you receive the best possible care, be sure to use quality information, take an active role in making decisions about your care, and look for physicians who meet quality standards of excellence.

• Newly Reported Professional Misconduct (Malpractice or Sanctions)
• New Patient Ratings
• New Certifications or Recognitions
• Office Changes or Procedures Offered
• ...and much more

After you carefully select your physician based on good quality measures, stay up-to-date on your physician's information. With WatchDog, HealthGrades notifies you immediately via email alerts when any of your doctor's information changes.