SERGIO ARTURO ALVAREZ, M.D.
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BOARD OF MEDICINE

Fla. 3d DCA | 2024-06-26
No. 2022-1158
Donald H. Marden
285 So. 3d 975 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (2024) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 360 So. 3d 817
Cited by 8 cases

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Synopsis

Dr. Sergio Arturo Alvarez appealed an administrative decision by the Florida Department of Health, Board of Medicine. The Third District Court of Appeal affirmed the Board's decision, holding that administrative agencies' rulings may only be set aside upon finding they lack substantial competent evidence support or contain material procedural errors, incorrect legal interpretations, or abuse of discretion.


Holding

The Board's decision was affirmed because it was supported by substantial competent evidence and did not contain material procedural errors, incorrect legal interpretations, or abuse of discretion.


Headnotes

[1] An agency's ruling may be set aside only upon a finding that it is not supported by substantial competent evidence in the record, that there are material errors in proced…

[2] Procedural errors in an administrative proceeding do not warrant reversal if the appellant fails to show that the outcome would have been different without those errors.

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Key Quotes

“The Department's ruling may be set aside only upon a finding that it is not supported by substantial competent evidence in the record or that there are material errors in procedure, incorrect interpretations of law, or an abuse of discretion.”

Establishes the standard of review for administrative agency decisions by the Board of Medicine

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Facts & Procedural History

Dr. Alvarez received a final administrative order from the Board of Medicine regarding DOH Case No. 2019-17732 and related administrative hearing case…

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Opinion of the Court

Ellsworth Law Firm, P.A., and Sean M. Ellsworth, for appellant. Sarah Young Hodges, Chief Appellate Counsel (Tallahassee), for appellee. Before LINDSEY, MILLER and LOBREE, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

Affirmed. See Waters v. Dep’t of Health, Bd. of Med., 962 So. 2d 1011, 1013 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007) (“The Department’s ruling may be set aside only upon a finding that it is not supported by substantial competent evidence in the record or that there are material errors in procedure, incorrect interpretations of law, or an abuse of discretion.”); Galvan v. Dep’t of Health, 285 So. 3d 975, 979 (Fla. 3d DCA 2019); Hale v. State Bd. of Admin., 360 So. 3d 817, 821–22 (Fla. 1st DCA 2023) (applying section 120.68(7)(c), Florida Statutes, and affirming State Board of Administration’s final order despite agency’s failure to follow procedure for modifications of recommended order where appellant “fails to show that the result of the administrative proceeding would have been different without the procedural errors in the final order”); Strickland v. Fla. A & M Univ., 799 So. 2d 276, 279 (Fla. 1st DCA 2001) (explaining that hearsay is admissible in administrative proceedings but may not form sole basis for administrative law judge’s determinations); see also § 120.68(7),(8), Fla. Stat. (2022); § 120.57(1)(c), Fla. Stat. (2022).


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Citator

Cited By

  • Sergio Arturo Alvarez, M.D. v. State, 285 So. 3d 975 (Fla. 3d DCA 2024)
    …t aside only 2 upon a finding that it is not supported by substantial competent evidence in the record or that there are material errors in procedure, incorrect interpretations of law, or an abuse of discretion.”); Galvan v. Dep’t of Health, 285 So. 3d 975, 979 (Fla. 3d DCA 2019); Hale v. State Bd. of Admin., 360 So. 3d 817, 821–22 (Fla. 1st DCA 2023) (applying section 120.68(7)(c), Florida Statutes, and affirming State Board of Administration’s final order despite agency’s failure to follow proced…
    1 / 2
  • Mattino v. City of Marathon, 345 So. 3d 939 (Fla. 3d DCA 2022)
  • Robert C. Cava, M.D. v. State (Fla. 3d DCA 2024)
    …on is dependent on findings of fact that are not supported by substantial competent evidence in the record, there are material errors in procedure, incorrect interpretations of law, or the agency abused its discretion.” Galvan v. Dep’t of Health, 285 So. 3d 975, 979 (Fla. 3d DCA 2019); see § ---PAGE 4--- 120.68(7)(b)-(e), Fla. Stat. (2022). Here, Dr. Cava contends that this court must set aside the final order because it is based on erroneous interpretations of law and material errors in procedure com…
    1 / 2

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