(225 ILCS 100/24) (from Ch. 111, par. 4824)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 24. Grounds for disciplinary action. The Department may refuse to issue, may refuse to renew, may refuse to restore, may suspend, or may revoke any license, or may place on probation, reprimand or take other disciplinary or non-disciplinary action as the Department may deem proper, including fines not to exceed $10,000 for each violation upon anyone licensed under this Act for any of the following reasons:

(1) Making a material misstatement in furnishing information to the Department.

(2) Violations of this Act, or of the rules adopted under this Act.

(3) Conviction by plea of guilty or nolo contendere, finding of guilt, jury verdict, or entry of judgment or sentencing, including, but not limited to, convictions, preceding sentences of supervision, conditional discharge, or first offender probation, under the laws of any jurisdiction of the United States that is (i) a felony or (ii) a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is dishonesty, or that is directly related to the practice of the profession.

(4) Making any misrepresentation for the purpose of obtaining licenses, or violating any provision of this Act or the rules promulgated thereunder pertaining to advertising.

(5) Professional incompetence.

(6) Gross or repeated malpractice or negligence.

(7) Aiding or assisting another person in violating any provision of this Act or rules.

(8) Failing, within 30 days, to provide information in response to a written request made by the Department.

(9) Engaging in dishonorable, unethical or unprofessional conduct of a character likely to deceive, defraud or harm the public.

(10) Habitual or excessive use of alcohol, narcotics, stimulants or other chemical agent or drug that results in the inability to practice podiatric medicine with reasonable judgment, skill or safety.

(11) Discipline by another United States jurisdiction if at least one of the grounds for the discipline is the same or substantially equivalent to those set forth in this Section.

(12) Violation of the prohibition against fee splitting in Section 24.2 of this Act.

(13) A finding by the Board that the licensee, after having his or her license placed on probationary status, has violated the terms of probation.

(14) Abandonment of a patient.

(15) Willfully making or filing false records or reports in his or her practice, including but not limited to false records filed with state agencies or departments.

(16) Willfully failing to report an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the Abused and Neglected Child Report Act.

(17) Physical illness, mental illness, or other impairment, including, but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process, or loss of motor skill that results in the inability to practice the profession with reasonable judgment, skill or safety.

(18) Solicitation of professional services other than permitted advertising.

(19) The determination by a circuit court that a licensed podiatric physician is subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission as provided in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code operates as an automatic suspension. Such suspension will end only upon a finding by a court that the patient is no longer subject to involuntary admission or judicial admission and issues an order so finding and discharging the patient; and upon the recommendation of the Board to the Secretary that the licensee be allowed to resume his or her practice.

(20) Holding oneself out to treat human ailments under any name other than his or her own, or the impersonation of any other physician.

(21) Revocation or suspension or other action taken with respect to a podiatric medical license in another jurisdiction that would constitute disciplinary action under this Act.

(22) Promotion of the sale of drugs, devices, appliances or goods provided for a patient in such manner as to exploit the patient for financial gain of the podiatric physician.

(23) Gross, willful, and continued overcharging for professional services including filing false statements for collection of fees for those services, including, but not limited to, filing false statement for collection of monies for services not rendered from the medical assistance program of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Department of Public Aid) under the Illinois Public Aid Code or other private or public third party payor.

(24) Being named as a perpetrator in an indicated report by the Department of Children and Family Services under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the licensee has caused a child to be an abused child or neglected child as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

(25) Willfully making or filing false records or reports in the practice of podiatric medicine, including, but not limited to, false records to support claims against the medical assistance program of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Department of Public Aid) under the Illinois Public Aid Code.

(26) (Blank).

(27) Immoral conduct in the commission of any act including, sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, or sexual exploitation, related to the licensee's practice.

(28) Violation of the Health Care Worker Self-Referral Act.

(29) Failure to report to the Department any adverse final action taken against him or her by another licensing jurisdiction of the United States or any foreign state or country, any peer review body, any health care institution, any professional society or association, any governmental agency, any law enforcement agency, or any court for acts or conduct similar to acts or conduct that would constitute grounds for action as defined in this Section.

(30) Willfully failing to report an instance of suspected abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or self-neglect of an eligible adult as defined in and required by the Adult Protective Services Act.

(31) Being named as a perpetrator in an indicated report by the Department on Aging under the Adult Protective Services Act, and upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the licensee has caused an eligible adult to be abused, neglected, or financially exploited as defined in the Adult Protective Services Act.

The Department may refuse to issue or may suspend the license of any person who fails to file a return, or to pay the tax, penalty or interest shown in a filed return, or to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty or interest, as required by any tax Act administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue, until such time as the requirements of any such tax Act are satisfied.

Upon receipt of a written communication from the Secretary of Human Services, the Director of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Director of Public Aid), or the Director of Public Health that continuation of practice of a person licensed under this Act constitutes an immediate danger to the public, the Secretary may immediately suspend the license of such person without a hearing. In instances in which the Secretary immediately suspends a license under this Section, a hearing upon such person's license must be convened by the Board within 15 days after such suspension and completed without appreciable delay, such hearing held to determine whether to recommend to the Secretary that the person's license be revoked, suspended, placed on probationary status or restored, or such person be subject to other disciplinary action. In such hearing, the written communication and any other evidence submitted therewith may be introduced as evidence against such person; provided, however, the person or his counsel shall have the opportunity to discredit or impeach such evidence and submit evidence rebutting the same.

Except for fraud in procuring a license, all proceedings to suspend, revoke, place on probationary status, or take any other disciplinary action as the Department may deem proper, with regard to a license on any of the foregoing grounds, must be commenced within 5 years after receipt by the Department of a complaint alleging the commission of or notice of the conviction order for any of the acts described in this Section. Except for the grounds set forth in items (8), (9), (26), and (29) of this Section, no action shall be commenced more than 10 years after the date of the incident or act alleged to have been a violation of this Section. In the event of the settlement of any claim or cause of action in favor of the claimant or the reduction to final judgment of any civil action in favor of the plaintiff, such claim, cause of action, or civil action being grounded on the allegation that a person licensed under this Act was negligent in providing care, the Department shall have an additional period of 2 years from the date of notification to the Department under Section 26 of this Act of such settlement or final judgment in which to investigate and commence formal disciplinary proceedings under Section 24 of this Act, except as otherwise provided by law. The time during which the holder of the license was outside the State of Illinois shall not be included within any period of time limiting the commencement of disciplinary action by the Department.

In enforcing this Section, the Department or Board upon a showing of a possible violation may compel an individual licensed to practice under this Act, or who has applied for licensure under this Act, to submit to a mental or physical examination, or both, as required by and at the expense of the Department. The Department or Board may order the examining physician to present testimony concerning the mental or physical examination of the licensee or applicant. No information shall be excluded by reason of any common law or statutory privilege relating to communications between the licensee or applicant and the examining physician. The examining physicians shall be specifically designated by the Board or Department. The individual to be examined may have, at his or her own expense, another physician of his or her choice present during all aspects of this examination. Failure of an individual to submit to a mental or physical examination, when directed, shall be grounds for suspension of his or her license until the individual submits to the examination if the Department finds, after notice and hearing, that the refusal to submit to the examination was without reasonable cause.

If the Department or Board finds an individual unable to practice because of the reasons set forth in this Section, the Department or Board may require that individual to submit to care, counseling, or treatment by physicians approved or designated by the Department or Board, as a condition, term, or restriction for continued, restored, or renewed licensure to practice; or, in lieu of care, counseling, or treatment, the Department may file, or the Board may recommend to the Department to file, a complaint to immediately suspend, revoke, or otherwise discipline the license of the individual. An individual whose license was granted, continued, restored, renewed, disciplined or supervised subject to such terms, conditions, or restrictions, and who fails to comply with such terms, conditions, or restrictions, shall be referred to the Secretary for a determination as to whether the individual shall have his or her license suspended immediately, pending a hearing by the Department.

In instances in which the Secretary immediately suspends a person's license under this Section, a hearing on that person's license must be convened by the Department within 30 days after the suspension and completed without appreciable delay. The Department and Board shall have the authority to review the subject individual's record of treatment and counseling regarding the impairment to the extent permitted by applicable federal statutes and regulations safeguarding the confidentiality of medical records.

An individual licensed under this Act and affected under this Section shall be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate to the Department or Board that he or she can resume practice in compliance with acceptable and prevailing standards under the provisions of his or her license.

(Source: P.A. 100-525, eff. 9-22-17.)