Rhode Island General Laws 5-29-33. Sanctions
If the accused is found guilty of unprofessional conduct as specified in § 5-29-32, the director, at the direction of the board, shall impose one or more of the following conditions:
(1) Administer a reprimand;
(2) Suspend, limit, or restrict his or her license or limited registration to practice podiatry;
(3) Require him or her to serve a period of probation subject to certain conditions and requirements including, where appropriate, sanctions or restitution;
(4) Revoke indefinitely his or her license or limited registration to practice podiatry;
(5) Require him or her to submit to the care, counseling, or treatment of a physician or program acceptable to the board;
(6) Require him or her to participate in a program of continuing podiatric education in the area or areas in which he or she has been judged deficient;
(7) Require him or her to practice under the direction of a podiatrist in a public institution, public or private healthcare program, or private practice for a period of time specified by the board;
(8) Assess against the podiatrist the administrative costs of the proceedings instituted against the podiatrist; provided, that assessment does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000); or
(9) Any other conditions or restrictions deemed appropriate under the circumstances.
History of Section.
P.L. 1988, ch. 274, § 2.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-29-33
- Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
- unprofessional conduct: as used in this chapter includes, but is not limited to, the following items or any combination of them and may be further defined by regulations established by the board with the approval of the director:
(1) Fraudulent or deceptive procuring or use of a license of limited registration;
(2) All advertising of podiatry business that is intended or has a tendency to deceive the public;
(3) Conviction of a felony, or conviction of a crime arising out of the practice of podiatry;
(4) Abandonment of a patient;
(5) Dependence upon a controlled substance, habitual drunkenness, or rendering professional services to a patient while the podiatrist or limited registrant is intoxicated or incapacitated by the use of drugs;
(6) Promotion by a podiatrist or limited registrant of the sale of drugs, devices, appliances, or goods or services provided for a patient in a manner that exploits the patient for the financial gain of the podiatrist or limited registrant;
(7) Immoral conduct of a podiatrist or limited registrant in the practice of podiatry;
(8) Willfully making and filing false reports or records in the practice of podiatry;
(9) Willful omission to file or record, or willfully impeding or obstructing a filing or recording, or inducing another person to omit to file or record podiatry/medical or other reports as required by law;
(10) Failure to furnish details of a patient's medical record to a succeeding podiatrist or medical facility upon proper request pursuant to this chapter;
(11) Solicitation of professional patronage by agents or persons or profiting from acts of those representing themselves to be agents of the licensed podiatrist or limited registrant;
(12) Division of fees or agreeing to split or divide the fees received for professional services for any person for bringing to or referring a patient;
(13) Agreeing with clinical or bioanalytical laboratories to accept payments from those laboratories for individual tests or test series for patients, or agreeing with podiatry laboratories to accept payment from those laboratories for work referred;
(14) Willful misrepresentation in treatment;
(15) Practicing podiatry with an unlicensed podiatrist except in accordance with the rules and regulations of the board, or aiding or abetting those unlicensed persons in the practice of podiatry;
(16) Gross and willful overcharging for professional services, including filing of false statements for collection of fees for which services are not rendered or willfully making or assisting in making a false claim or deceptive claim or misrepresenting a material fact for use in determining rights to podiatric care or other benefits;
(17) Offering, undertaking, or agreeing to cure or treat disease by a secret method, procedure, treatment, or medicine;
(18) Professional or mental incompetence;
(19) Incompetent, negligent, or willful misconduct in the practice of podiatry that includes the rendering of unnecessary podiatry services and any departure from or the failure to conform to the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing podiatry practice in his or her area of expertise as is determined by the board. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-29-16