Press Release

AMI Offers Help For Licensed Professionals Who Are Sanctioned

Monitoring Also Helps Government Agencies Stretch Budgets, Reduce Backlogs

BOSTON, Mass., June 10, 2004 -- Attorney Vincent L. DiCianni today announced the opening of Affiliated Monitors, Inc. (AMI), which offers a new model for working with licensed professionals who are sanctioned.

AMI, which has offices in Boston and Westborough, also offers services to help licensed professionals comply with state and federal regulations.

"Regulations have become so complex, it's often difficult for licensed professionals to comply with them," DiCianni said. "Yet if they fail to comply, even a minor infraction could jeopardize their business. They could face heavy fines or lose their credentials, or their license could be suspended or revoked."

As regulations have become more complex, licensing boards and government agencies have faced cutbacks, resulting in growing backlogs of cases involving sanctioned professionals, according to DiCianni, who has represented clients before many licensing boards in addition to serving as Assistant Attorney General in Massachusetts.

AMI can help sanctioned professionals while reducing case backlogs, according to DiCianni. AMI staff monitors sanctioned professionals to ensure that they are complying with all regulations, as well as best practices within their profession. In the process, AMI's monitors, who are also highly experienced professionals, teach those who are sanctioned how to improve their practices. The sanctioned professionals pay AMI for the service, so there is no cost to the licensing boards or agencies, DiCianni said.

"Everyone benefits from this arrangement," according to DiCianni. "Licensing boards and agencies can reduce their backlogs and stretch their budgets. Sanctioned professionals can be treated fairly and be trained to prevent future infractions. Attorneys can help their clients protect their practice, and the public can benefit from improved, safer service."

Monitoring is ideal for professionals who have minor infractions, DiCianni said, but is not sufficient for dealing with very serious violations, such as negligence by a healthcare professional that endangers the life of a patient. However, most sanctions are for relatively minor infractions. Monitoring by AMI can free up licensing boards to deal with more serious cases, he said.

In addition to working with sanctioned professionals, AMI works with professionals and employers who want to ensure that they are meeting all regulatory requirements and are following best practices. AMI performs compliance audits, creates compliance plans and develops manuals that provide professionals with all of the information they need in an organized, easy-to-follow format. AMI also provides compliance training and will customize seminars to meet the needs of professional associations and specific practice groups, DiCianni said.

AMI works with professionals in many different industries, including healthcare, construction and engineering, and insurance. It also works with companies and professionals who contract with the government, and with businesses that manufacture or sell alcoholic beverages. AMI also works directly with government agencies, licensing boards, attorneys and professional associations. AMI is operating primarily in Massachusetts, but is also beginning to handle cases in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

The business model for AMI is based on the Independent Private Sector Inspector General (IPSIG) program developed in New York State. IPSIG uses independent, private-sector oversight and monitoring services to ensure compliance with government regulations.

DiCianni said he formed AMI not only because of a perceived need for its services, but because he saw an opportunity to address ethics issues, which have interested him throughout his career.

"At a time when skepticism and distrust of businesses and institutions is at a historic high," DiCianni concluded, "AMI can help restore trust and integrity in the businesses and disciplines we work with."

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Affiliated Monitors, Inc. (AMI), which has offices in Boston and Westborough, Mass., was founded to help licensed professionals comply with state and federal regulations. AMI provides professional monitoring of sanctioned professionals, as well as compliance audits, compliance plans, manuals and training.

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