Tag: license

It Could Happen to You: Understanding IDFPR Sanctions

Posted on by Louis Fine

In recent posts, we’ve discussed the investigations and disciplinary proceedings which the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) conducts when a professional’s license comes under its scrutiny.

At various points in these processes, complaints may be dismissed or matters resolved without the imposition of any sanctions or other actions which could damage the licensee’s career or reputation. But in many cases, the IDFPR may conclude that disciplinary action is warranted. What that action may be, what it means, and how it may impact your life and livelihood can vary wildly. If you receive an IDFPR complaint or are facing administrative proceedings, it is crucial that you understand the potential consequences the IDFPR can impose if they find that your conduct merits it.

The following are some of the possible sanctions the IDFPR can levy on professional licensees:

  • Reprimand. While a reprimand will not limit your ability to work or practice, it may require monitoring and is an official public record of discipline.
  • Probation. If you are placed on probation, you will be able to continue working or practicing subject to specific conditions and limitations established by the Department. As with probation in the criminal justice system, a violation of any of the imposed terms will create further problems potentially involving further discipline. The probation term could be for a set period which will automatically expire providing all conditions were complied with or it could be for an indefinite time, requiring that the licensee petition the board to terminate the probation.
  • Suspension. If your license is suspended, you are prohibited from working in your profession during the suspension term. As with probation, the duration of suspension can be set or indefinite.
  • Summary or Temporary Suspension. If the Department determines that a licensee’s continuation in practice poses an imminent danger to the public, it can take immediate action by summarily or temporarily suspending a license. The license remains suspended pending a hearing on the case
  • Revocation. If the Department revokes your license, you cannot work or practice in your chosen profession until further notice. If no term is stated, you must wait a minimum of three years before you can file a Petition for Restoration.
  • Refusal to Renew. Licensees who are refused renewal are ineligible to renew their license and are prohibited from practice after the expiration of the date of their license, though they may file a Petition for Restoration.
  • Fines. A monetary penalty can be levied alone or in conjunction with any of the foregoing sanctions.

If the Department is seeking any of these sanctions against you or offers to resolve your matter through a consent order in which you agree to the imposition of a specific penalty, it is imperative that you consult with an experienced Chicago professional license defense attorney if you haven’t done so already. You need to fully understand the implications of any possible sanctions so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed. Your future is at stake; it is no time to go it alone.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.

Your Career in the Crosshairs: The Perils of IDFPR Disciplinary Proceedings

Posted on by Louis Fine

Allegations of professional misconduct made to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) are a dime a dozen. Any disgruntled client, customer, or patient can claim that you wronged, harmed, or otherwise treated them in an unprofessional manner worthy of investigation and punishment.

But these claims, as well as allegations of wrongdoing submitted to IDFPR by other licensees or law enforcement agencies, remain mere allegations until the IDFPR’s Investigations Unit determines that there is sufficient factual evidence to support the claim against you. If they reach that conclusion and submit the matter to the appropriate Department prosecutions unit for the initiation of disciplinary proceedings, those mere allegations against you explode into existential threats to your license and career. Understanding this threat, and retaining an experienced IDFPR defense attorney to defend you, are critical if you wish to continue making a living in your chosen profession.

Pre-Hearing Steps

We previously wrote about the IDFPR’s process of evaluating and investigating complaints prior to the start of an administrative proceeding which can conclude with disciplinary action, including the suspension or revocation of your professional license. Here’s what happens next:

  • Formal complaint. As opposed to a complaint submitted to the IDFPR about you, this is a complaint submitted to you by the IDFPR. It sets forth the factual and legal basis for seeking disciplinary action against you and advises you when you and your attorney must appear and file an answer to the charges. Failing to respond or appear can result in a default judgment which can, in turn, result in the loss of your license without you having an opportunity to defend yourself.
  • Informal conference. After you respond to the charges in the complaint, there is usually a meeting between yourself, your lawyer, and Department attorneys to informally negotiate and discuss your case to determine if a resolution can be reached before a formal hearing.
  • Preliminary hearing. If the parties cannot reach an early negotiated resolution, a preliminary hearing will be held at which time a date will be set for rulings by the Administrative Law Judge on any preliminary motions, such as those relating to discovery, evidence, and other pre-trial issues.

Unfair Discovery Process

During this time, both sides will be busy preparing their case for a formal hearing. This includes gathering the evidence and testimony that will support their respective positions, much as parties do in civil lawsuits. But unlike civil suits, where the judge gets to determine the parameters of discovery, the extent of allowable discovery in IDFPR proceedings is determined by the very people who are prosecuting the case.

Once the Department provides names of witnesses, including the name of any individual whose complaint may be at the heart of the proceedings, a respondent cannot take their depositions unless the Department’s attorney agrees – which rarely, if ever, happens. If the Department nixes a deposition request, that means the respondent will not be able to confront that witness, learn what his testimony will be, or attack the veracity of his testimony until the actual hearing. That is manifestly unfair and leaves a respondent and their attorney fighting with one arm tied behind their back.

The Formal Hearing

Ultimately, in lieu of a settlement, a formal hearing will be held during which each party makes opening and closing statements, the Department presents a case in chief, and you and your attorney will present your defense, much like in a trial.

The individual presiding over your case, the hearing officer, is usually an attorney charged with presiding over the proceedings fairly and objectively without favoritism or bias. The problem is the hearing officers are not independent. They are employed and paid by the IDFPR, just as the prosecuting attorneys are. This can make an already perilous process even more so.

Once the formal hearing concludes, the hearing officer or administrative law judge will present his or her findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Director of Professional Regulation, who will determine the nature and extent of sanctions against you, or decide that no sanctions are warranted at all, if that is supported by the report they receive after the hearing. You will receive a copy of the report as well and have 20 days from the date the notice is mailed to file a motion for rehearing. Once the Director issues his order as to disciplinary action, you have 35 to file an appeal in circuit court.

If you receive a formal IDFPR complaint, the two most important things you can do are not panic and then call an experienced Chicago professional license defense attorney as soon as possible.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.

Medical Corporations are Licensees Too, My Friend

Posted on by Louis Fine

Even though individual licensed physicians, not a corporate entity, are the ones doing the diagnosing, treating, and healing, the entity still must be licensed by the IDFPR. There are three main types of medical entities that Illinois physicians can form: a medical corporation, a limited liability company, and a professional corporation. In a medical corporation or professional corporation that provides medical services, only licensed physicians may be shareholders, directors and officers.

In Illinois, physicians may also practice medicine through a limited liability company so long as the managers and each member are licensed to practice medicine under the Illinois Medical Practice Act or a member or manager is a registered Illinois professional corporation, medical corporation or appropriately structured and licensed limited liability company.

Medical Corporations

Under the Illinois Medical Corporation Act, no corporation shall open, operate or maintain an establishment involving the delivery of medical services in the state without a license issued by IDFPR. All medical corporation licenses expire on December 31 of each year regardless of the date on which IDFPR issued the license and must be renewed every year.

It is important to note that IDFPR can revoke or suspend the corporation’s license for numerous reasons, including:

  • the revocation or suspension of the license to practice medicine of any officer, director, shareholder or employee not promptly removed or discharged by the corporation;
  • unethical professional conduct on the part of any officer, director, shareholder or employee not promptly removed or discharged by the corporation;
  • the death of the last remaining shareholder; or
  • upon finding that the holder of a certificate has failed to comply with the provisions of this Act or the regulations prescribed by the Department.

Medical corporation owners therefore need to be cognizant about how any individual physician’s disciplinary issues may impact the corporation’s license status.

Limited Liability Companies

Licensed Illinois physicians can also form a limited liability corporation (LLC) to provide professional services, and the LLC must be licensed by IDFPR  just like a medical corporation.

While the owners of a medical corporation can be licensed for different medical professions, all members and managers of LLCs providing any of the following professional services must be licensed for the same profession:

  • Clinical psychology
  • Dentistry
  • Marriage and family therapy
  • Medicine

Professional Service Corporations

Licensed Illinois professionals who perform the same or “related professional services” may form a professional service corporation. “Related professional services” include a combination of personal services by physicians, podiatric physicians, dentists, and optometrists licensed in Illinois. Only licensed individuals engaged in the same or related professions may be shareholders, directors, or officers in the corporation. All Illinois professional service corporations must be licensed by IDFPR.

Entities which lose their license cannot continue to legal offer medical services. If they continue to do so, it could cause problems for the individual physician/owners. Not only may they be subject to disciplinary action, but the failure to follow the law could theoretically contribute to a physician’s personal exposure for the entity’s obligations or liabilities if a plaintiff attempts to “pierce the corporate veil.”

In our next post, we will discuss how issues other than licensing can cause headaches for medical entity owners who fail to comply with the formalities and requirements that apply to the operation of their entities.

Louis Fine: Chicago Medical License Defense Attorney

Whether it is your personal license or your entity’s license that is in IDFPR’s crosshairs, please contact me.  I will immediately begin communicating with IDFPR prosecutors and work with you to develop the strategy best suited to achieving the goal of an efficient, cost-effective outcome that avoids any adverse action.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.

Loosening of Licensing Laws Looking a Lot Likelier

Posted on by Louis Fine

The current administration is pushing radical deregulation across almost every aspect of the nation’s economic and public life. Most of these efforts are not designed with the public good in mind and are instead focused on advancing the interests of those who would financially benefit from the elimination of regulations such as those which protect the environment, enhance workplace safety, or ensure opportunity and protections for the disabled or other vulnerable groups.

However, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and one regulatory framework is rightfully being reexamined to see whether it is in fact doing more harm than good. Specifically, the push to reevaluate and reform state professional and occupational licensing regimes keeps gaining steam.

Federal Dollars for State Licensing Reform

Premised on concerns that too many jobs are subject to too many licensing requirements, and that these regulations are creating financial and practical barriers to people seeking to enter scores of occupations, an increasing number of voices are calling on states to make dramatic changes to their laws. This now includes the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Under a recently announced grant program, the federal government is offering states millions of dollars to review, eliminate and reform their licensing requirements.

Under the State Occupational Licensing Review and Reform grant program, individual states, including Illinois, can apply for up to $450,000 in funding to “review and streamline occupational licensing requirements in state-identified occupations and to promote portability of state licenses to and from other states.” Illinois has already joined a consortium of 10 other states who have been doing just that in conjunction with an existing DOL effort.

Consumer Protection v. Economic Opportunity

Why is this a necessary and even positive development? After all, the underlying premise of occupational and professional licensing requirements is to protect consumers and ensure that those holding themselves out as skilled or competent in providing services are in fact skilled and competent.

Protecting the public from charlatans and hacks is unquestionably a public good. Few people will argue that doctors, lawyers, accountants, or dentists should not be regulated to ensure that they meet certain basic requirements of training, skill, and ethics.

But reform advocates argue that there are way too many occupations which are subject to licensing requirements. For example, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is responsible for reviewing license applications in 235 separate categories covered by 61 different professional license acts. It licenses and regulates over 1 million professionals and firms throughout Illinois.

Economists and others have argued that professional licensing requirements for many occupations present unnecessary barriers that keep many people from entering those jobs while not significantly adding to consumer protection.

In announcing the grant, Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta said:

“Excessive licensing raises the cost of entry, often prohibitively, for many careers, barring many Americans from good, family-sustaining jobs. In 1950, only 1 in 20 jobs required an occupational license. Today, more than 1 in 4 require a license to work… If licenses are unnecessary, eliminate them. If they are necessary for health and safety, then streamline them and work with other states for reciprocity.”

Indeed, a 2015 study by the Brookings Institution found there were “far more cases” in which licensing reduced employment than ones where it improved the quality and safety of services. The restrictions have resulted in 2.8 million fewer jobs nationally and raised consumer costs by $203 billion annually, the study found.

When combined with the unfairness of the professional license disciplinary process, the overzealous exclusion of qualified individuals from their chosen occupations, especially those occupations which do not implicate health, safety, or financial concerns, is worthy of serious reconsideration.  .

Louis Fine: Chicago Professional License Defense Attorney

As a former Chief Prosecuting Attorney and administrative law judge for IDFPR, I have seen the serious consequences that an adverse enforcement decision can have on professionals who suddenly find their future in disarray. I understand how and why the Department decides to pursue investigations, how it handles negotiations, and how to approach formal proceedings in a way that gives my clients the best possible chance of a positive and expeditious outcome.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. Together, we will get you back to your clients and your career.

Professionals Charged With Crimes Need to Think Long and Hard Before Entering a Plea Bargain

Posted on by Louis Fine

If you are facing criminal charges, you have a lot to worry about. Depending on the nature of the charges, you could be facing thousands of dollars in fines, months or even years behind bars, and a stain on your reputation that can follow you around for decades. If you are also a licensed professional, the outcome of your criminal case could have a profound impact on your ability to continue earning a living in your chosen profession.

In a perfect world, you would be able to beat the charges, put the ordeal behind you, and return to your life with minimal disruption. Many times, however, the prospect of severe criminal consequences upon conviction – and the substantial attorney’s fees you will incur win or lose — can make a plea bargain with prosecutors an attractive proposition.

If you can avoid being separated from your family by pleading guilty to a lesser offense or by agreeing to other terms proposed by prosecutors, you may understandably jump at the chance. That’s one reason that more than 90 percent of state and federal criminal convictions are the result of guilty pleas.

Plea Bargain = Conviction = Disciplinary Action

But you need to take a long, hard look at the terms of any such offer and the implications it can have on your career before you leap into a plea bargain. While no jury or judge has found you guilty of a crime, you are effectively declaring yourself guilty when you enter into a plea bargain. In the eyes of most Illinois professional licensing laws and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), guilty is guilty, and your license may be at immediate risk for suspension or revocation once you sign on the prosecutor’s dotted line.

Almost every Illinois licensing statute makes certain criminal convictions a basis for disciplinary action. The Illinois Physical Therapy Act provides a typical example of how criminal convictions are treated under state licensing acts. It states that a therapist’s license can be denied, revoked, suspended, or subject to other disciplinary action for:

Conviction of any crime under the laws of the United States or any state or territory thereof which is a felony or which is a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is dishonesty, or of any crime which is directly related to the practice of the profession; conviction, as used in this paragraph, shall include a finding or verdict of guilty, an admission of guilt or a plea of nolo contendere;

Note that the statute makes no distinction between a guilty verdict and admission of guilt. Also note that the language, which is substantially similar to that in other licensing acts, only involves convictions for crimes involving “dishonesty” or those “directly related to the practice of the profession.” But these categories can encompass a wide range of criminal offenses, from fraud, shoplifting, and embezzlement to drug possession or driving under the influence, depending on the profession.

Relinquishing License as Part of Plea Bargain

In some cases, prosecutors may condition a plea bargain on the defendant voluntarily relinquishing their license, often permanently. While some licensing acts allow for reinstatement after a period of time has passed after a conviction for certain offenses, a voluntary agreement to give up a license can take away that opportunity.

If you are being prosecuted for a crime and are offered a plea agreement which involves surrendering your license, it is critical that you consult with both your criminal defense attorney as well as a professional licensing lawyer to discuss the implications of such an agreement. After all, whether or not you serve any time, you will need to make a living when your criminal justice ordeal is over.

Louis Fine: Chicago Professional License Defense Attorney

As a former Chief Prosecuting Attorney and administrative law judge for IDFPR, I have seen the serious consequences that an adverse enforcement decision can have on professionals who suddenly find their future in disarray. I understand how and why the Department decides to pursue investigations, how it handles negotiations, and how to approach formal proceedings in a way that gives my clients the best possible chance of a positive and expeditious outcome.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. Together, we will get you back to your clients and your career.

Vicious Circle: Failure to Pay Student Loans Can Cost You Your Illinois Professional License

Posted on by Louis Fine

Whether you are a surgeon, an accountant, a hairstylist, or are in any of the scores of occupations which require a professional license in Illinois, it no doubt took a lot of work and commitment to get where you are. It’s also likely that it cost you some money. If that money was in the form of student loans, know this: all of your hard work can be for naught if you fail to pay those debts. Illinois is one of 20 states that can strip you of your professional license for defaulting on student loan obligations.

Catch-22

A recent story in the New York Times shined a spotlight on this practice, one which theoretically threatens the livelihoods of millions of professionals across the country and thousands in our state. Student loan debt in the U.S. is astronomical, and default rates have been rising. By one estimate, there is currently $1.4 trillion in student loan debt outstanding nationally.

In Illinois, according to a recent report, 61 percent of graduates of four-year public and private colleges and universities from the class of 2016 had educational debt, totaling $29,271, on average. That report doesn’t include debt incurred to attend community colleges or technical and vocational schools.

The rationale behind denying or revoking professional licenses for unpaid student loans is that it will incentivize borrowers to make payments. But taking away someone’s livelihood because they can’t make payments on their student loans sets up a situation that does more harm than good. Punishing someone for an unpaid debt by taking away their ability to pay that debt is a grotesque catch-22.

Some States Are Harsher Than Others

According to the Times, their research “identified at least 8,700 cases in which licenses were taken away or put at risk of suspension in recent years, although that tally almost certainly underestimates the true number.”

The states that allow professional licenses to be denied or revoked for unpaid student loans vary widely in how aggressively they use this draconian tool. For example, according to the Times article, Tennessee’s professional licensing authorities took some form of action against 5,400 licensees for unpaid debt between 2012 and 2017. Conversely, licensing officials from states like Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Washington say they do not take disciplinary action for student debt even though they have the statutory power to do so.

What is the Risk in Illinois?

Illinois law (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15) requires that the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation “deny any license or renewal… to any person who has defaulted on an educational loan or scholarship provided by or guaranteed by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission or any governmental agency of this State.”

While it is unclear how many Illinois licensees have been or remain at risk for debt-based disciplinary action, it appears that the IDFPR has not been particularly active in using its powers in this regard. But that could always change. If you are a licensed Illinois professional who has defaulted on your student loan debt, be aware that the career you financed with those loans could be threatened.

Louis Fine: Chicago Professional License Defense Attorney

As a former Chief Prosecuting Attorney and administrative law judge for IDFPR, I have seen the serious consequences that an adverse enforcement decision can have on professionals who suddenly find their future in disarray. I understand how and why the Department decides to pursue investigations, how it handles negotiations, and how to approach formal proceedings in a way that gives my clients the best possible chance of a positive and expeditious outcome.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. Together, we will get you back to your clients and your career.

Beware of “Aiding and Abetting” the Unlicensed Practice of Medicine

Posted on by Louis Fine

“Aiding and abetting” are two words often associated with criminal law, as in, “The getaway car driver was charged with aiding and abetting the bank robbery.” But for physicians as well as many other professionals who are required to be licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), aiding and abetting the unlicensed practice of their profession can also mean severe disciplinary action, including license revocation.

For physicians in particular, aiding and abetting the unlicensed practice of medicine can be a potentially disastrous minefield, as the permissible and seemingly innocuous delegation of certain tasks to assistants or others can inadvertently lead to IDFPR concerns.

Included among the over 40 enumerated bases for disciplinary action set forth in the Illinois Medical Practice Act (225 ILCS 60/1 et seq.) is “aiding and abetting an individual not licensed under this Act in the practice of a profession licensed under this Act.”

What Exactly is the “Practice of Medicine”?

The problem arises because the Medical Practice Act, despite its title, nowhere defines exactly what the “practice of medicine” entails. Section 22 of the Medical Practice Act directs the IDFPR to adopt rules that set forth standards to be used in determining several violations and terms under the Act. However, it does not require the Department to set forth explicit standards defining the practice of medicine.

As one court explained, the reason the legislature did not define “the practice of medicine” in the definitions section of the Act is “because a flexible definition of the practice of medicine is required in a statute intended to govern various healers from osteopaths to herb doctors. Siddiqui v. IDFPR, 718 N.E.2d 217 (4th Dist. 1999).

Not every act performed by a physician constitutes the practice of medicine. Duties such as changing bandages, administering injections, drawing blood, and taking blood pressure are often performed by nonphysicians. However, the fact that licensed professionals other than physicians may be permitted to perform certain medical procedures under the supervision of a licensed physician does not render the performance of those same procedures by unsupervised and unlicensed individuals outside the ambit of the Medical Practice Act. People v. Bickham, 621 N.E.2d 86 (1993).

Delegation of “Patient Care Tasks” to Qualified or Supervised Individuals Can Be Permitted

Similarly, Section 54.2 of the Medical Practice Act specifically allows physicians to delegate authority to certain individuals:

  • Physicians can delegate patient care tasks to a licensed practical nurse, a registered professional nurse, or other licensed person practicing within the scope of his or her individual licensing Act.
  • Physicians can also delegate such tasks to physician assistants or advanced practice nurses.
  • In an office or practice setting and within a physician-patient relationship, a physician may delegate patient care tasks or duties to an unlicensed person who possesses appropriate training and experience provided a health care professional, who is practicing within the scope of such licensed professional’s individual licensing Act, is on site to provide assistance.
  • No physician may delegate any patient care task or duty that is statutorily or by rule mandated to be performed by a physician.

Diagnosis, Treatment Plan, and Prescriptions Cannot Be Delegated

What cannot be delegated, and what do not constitute “patient care tasks,” are the diagnosis of illnesses, and the development of treatment plans, including prescribing drugs. Siddiqui v. IDFPR, 718 N.E.2d 217 (4th Dist. 1999). For example, the Pharmacy Practice Act of 1987 provides that a pharmacist may advise or counsel patients on the use of drugs or devices and provide health information related to them, however, the pharmacist’s role does not extend to deciding whether to prescribe drugs. This requires a medical judgment as to the needs of the patient, the effect of the drug, and the effectiveness of other types of treatment.

Physicians should ensure that they have developed specific protocols and procedures that define the permissible roles and actions of nurses, assistants, and others in their practice and be wary of delegating any tasks that may involve the diagnosis and the use of professional medical judgment in deciding on a course of treatment.

Louis R. Fine: Chicago Physician License Defense Attorney

Throughout my career, I have been protecting the livelihoods and professional futures of physicians and other health care providers before the IDFPR, combining insight and experience with zealous and strategic advocacy.

The moment you are contacted by IDFPR or learn that you are under investigation is the moment that you should contact me. I will immediately begin communicating with IDFPR prosecutors and work with you to develop the strategy best suited to achieving the goal of an efficient, cost-effective outcome that avoids any adverse action. Together, we will protect your Illinois physician’s license and get you back to your patients and your career.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.

Defending Yourself Before the IDFPR is a Gamble You Can’t Afford

Posted on by Louis Fine

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a complaint, the subject of an investigation, or facing a disciplinary proceeding before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), don’t bother defending yourself.

That’s not to say your license, reputation, and career aren’t worth fighting for; quite the opposite, actually. But the policies and procedures that govern IDFPR investigations, hearings, and imposition of sanctions are unique and complicated, and often times unwritten and informal; even skilled and experienced attorneys who do not practice before IDFPR can find themselves at a loss when dealing with licensure issues. You may be the target of a completely meritless client/patient complaint; you may have all of the facts on your side and the documentation or witnesses to prove it. But all of your arguments and evidence may never see the light of day if you don’t know the proper way to present your case.

Your lack of knowledge of the process and how IDFPR prosecuting attorneys think and work also means you may miss out on opportunities to resolve your case sooner, cheaper, and with a more positive outcome. The ability to effectively reach a negotiated resolution with prosecutors depends on understanding the range of consequences, the risks involved in proceeding to a full hearing, and the likelihood of obtaining a successful result. Unless you have had extensive experience defending your professional license (which is hopefully not the case), you will be at an overwhelming disadvantage in negotiations with IDFPR prosecuting attorneys.

Even worse, the process can be manifestly unfair and stacked against you. Experienced and aggressive prosecutors have your license in their sights, and the hearing officer who will determine your fate is not necessarily independent and unbiased. IDFPR hearing officers are employed and paid by the IDFPR, just as the prosecuting attorneys are. Whether a hearing officer is consciously biased or not, the fact that their paychecks are coming from the very same folks who are seeking to discipline a respondent creates an implicit conflict of interest and calls into question the fairness of the entire process.

You are no doubt smart and know your profession well, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can or should handle an IDFPR investigation on your own.  Your reputation, career and livelihood are at stake.  Now is not the time to take a flyer and hope for the best.

Louis Fine: Chicago Professional License Defense Attorney

As a former Chief Prosecuting Attorney and administrative law judge for IDFPR, I have seen the serious consequences that an adverse enforcement decision can have on professionals who suddenly find their future in disarray. I understand how and why the Department decides to pursue investigations, how it handles negotiations, and how to approach formal proceedings in a way that gives my clients the best possible chance of a positive and expeditious outcome.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. Together, we will get you back to your clients and your career.

Illinois Dentists: Brush Up on These Tips If You Get a Notice From IDFPR

Posted on by Louis Fine

If you’re an Illinois dentist or other medical professional, there are three things you don’t want to see when you pick up your mail: junk mail, bills, and an unexpected envelope from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The first is annoying; the second is the cost of doing business; but the third could cost you your practice, your reputation, and your career if you don’t handle things properly.

When you open that envelope and see that a complaint has been lodged against you and/or that you are under investigation, you have a critical choice to make. You can react emotionally and angrily; with righteous indignation at the complaining patient, the Board of Dentistry, or the IDFPR. Or you can do the right things that can help you whether the storm, effectively and rationally address the issues, and resolve the matter efficiently so you can get back to treating your patients.

If you are under investigation or have been accused of violations of the Illinois Dental Practice Act (the “Act”), acting out of emotions such as fear or anger can only make the situation worse and create problems that would not have existed had you only proceeded in a calm, thoughtful, and responsive way. So, keep these tips in mind if and when you find out you are being investigated by the IDFPR:

  1. Keep calm and carry on. While your heart may start beating faster when you get a complaint or notice of investigation, don’t panic. One, panic and irrationality rarely lead to good things and wise decisions. More importantly, panic is likely unwarranted. Many if not most IDFPR complaints and investigations against Illinois dentists are resolved either after an informal hearing or without any action being taken at all. Not that you shouldn’t take the matter seriously, retain experienced license defense counsel, and respond in a complete and timely manner. But keep in mind that during a long and successful dental career, you’ll have treated hundreds if not thousands of patients for any number of reasons. A complaint can arise from a cleaning as much as it can come from a root canal, and may be based on absolutely nothing of substance. Remember that as you try to return your blood pressure to normal.
  1. Address the issue. As unfounded as you believe a patient’s complaint or the IDFPR’s basis for investigating you may be, ignorance is not bliss. Failing to respond – or responding in a dismissive and contemptuous manner – just because you believe the matter to be bogus will create problems where perhaps none existed. Don’t angrily crumple up the letter or shove it in your desk drawer. Failure to respond in a timely fashion to an initial IDFPR inquiry could subject you to IDFPR discipline, even if there was no merit to the underlying complaint. For example, “failing, within 60 days, to provide information in response to a written request by the Department in the course of an investigation” is itself a basis for revocation or suspension of a dental license under the Act.
  1. Bite your tongue. One of the worst things you can do is respond directly to or take any adverse action against the patient or other individual who filed the complaint with IDFPR. Don’t stop treating a patient without doing so in accordance with the rules governing the profession, as “abandonment of a patient” is one of the 38 specified bases for license suspension or revocation set forth in Section 23 of the Act, along with such potentially retaliatory actions as “irregularities in billing” and ”immoral conduct.”
  1. Get an IDFPR defense lawyer. The policies and procedures that govern IDFPR investigations, hearings, and imposition of sanctions against dentists and dental hygienists are unique and complicated, and often times unwritten and informal. The rules can also be terribly unfair. Even skilled and experienced attorneys who do not practice before IDFPR can find themselves at a loss when dealing with licensure issues. You are no doubt smart and know your profession well, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can or should handle an IDFPR investigation on your own. Your reputation, career and livelihood are at stake.  Now is not the time to take a flyer and hope for the best. Call an experienced Illinois dentist and health care provider license defense attorney as soon as possible after you’ve received that dreaded letter, and let them ease your fears and take the steps necessary to protect your license and your future.

Louis Fine: Your Chicago IDFPR Attorney

The moment you are contacted by IDFPR or learn that you are under investigation is the moment that you should contact me. I will immediately begin communicating with IDFRP prosecutors and work with you to develop the strategy best suited to achieving the goal of an efficient, cost-effective outcome that avoids any adverse action. Together, we will get you back to you patients and dental career.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.

Illinois Nurses: Take Care of How You Treat the IDFPR or Risk Losing Everything

Posted on by Louis Fine

There are lots of things you can look forward to in the mail – birthday cards, paychecks, that cool thing you just ordered from Amazon. But if you are a nurse in Illinois, an unexpected envelope from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is not one of them. There’s a good chance that the envelope contains either a complaint which a patient has lodged against you and/or a notice that you are under investigation for alleged violations of your professional obligations.

Whether you are a Registered Professional Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), don’t panic if that envelope does come and make sure you avoid these other IDFPR “don’ts” as well. But you’d rather not get such potentially devastating news in the first place.

In addition to the many bases for disciplinary action that are related to the performance of your duties as a nurse, there are also many ways to get in trouble related to your duties to the IDFPR. The IDFPR does not like being ignored, lied to, or denied information relevant to your license and professional history. Here are three ways your interactions with the IDFPR can lead them to threaten your ability to continue practicing:

  • Ignoring the IDFPR. Burying your head in the sand is the worst possible thing you can do if and when the IDFPR contacts you. You are subject to discipline if you:
    • Fail, within 90 days, to provide a response to a request for information in response to a written request made by the IDFPR by certified mail.
    • Fail to report to the IDFPR any final disciplinary action taken against you by another licensing jurisdiction, any peer review body, any health care institution, any professional or nursing society or association, any governmental agency, any law enforcement agency, or any court or a nursing liability claim related to acts or conduct similar to acts or conduct that would constitute grounds for action as defined in this Section.
    • Fail to report to the IDFPR your surrender of a license or authorization to practice nursing or advanced practice nursing in another state or jurisdiction.
    • Failing, within 60 days, to provide information in response to a written request made by the Department.
  • Burying bad news. If you are disciplined in another jurisdiction, you need to report that to the IDFPR. They say the cover up is always worse than the crime, so make sure that you:
    • Report to the IDFPR any final disciplinary action taken against you by another licensing jurisdiction, any peer review body, any health care institution, any professional or nursing society or association, any governmental agency, any law enforcement agency, or any court or a nursing liability claim related to acts or conduct similar to acts or conduct that would constitute grounds for action as defined in this Section.
    • Report to the IDFPR your surrender of a license or authorization to practice nursing or advanced practice nursing in another state or jurisdiction.
  • Lying. Period. You lie or intentionally deceive the IDFPR, you will lose your license; it’s just that simple. Specifically:
    • Material deception in furnishing information to the Department.
    • Fraud, deceit or misrepresentation in procuring or applying for a renewal of your license.
    • Attempting to subvert or cheat on a licensing examination.
    • The use of any false, fraudulent, or deceptive statement in any document connected with your practice.
    • Willfully making or filing false records or reports in your practice, 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.

In addition to your communications directly with the IDFPR, your communications to the world at large through social media can put your license at risk. What you post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media platforms can be used as evidence against you in any disciplinary action brought by the IDFPR. Depending on what you post, you social media use can itself be a basis for discipline if it violates patient confidentiality, reflect immoral conduct relating to your practice, or otherwise violates any other basis for discipline as set forth in the Illinois Nurse Practice Act.

Louis R. Fine: Chicago Nursing License Defense Attorney

If you’re a licensed Illinois nurse, the moment you are contacted by IDFPR or learn that you are under investigation is the moment that you should contact me. I will immediately begin communicating with IDFRP prosecutors and work with you to develop the strategy best suited to achieving the goal of an efficient, cost-effective outcome that avoids any adverse action. Together, we will protect your license and get you back to your patients and your career.

Please give me a call at (312) 236-2433 or fill out my online form to arrange for your free initial consultation. I look forward to meeting with you.