According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) workplace sexual harassment continues to be a major issue in the United States. Although significant strides have been made in the prevention and elimination of sexual harassment in the workplace, there is still far to go. Workplace sexual harassment can be found in just about every industry, and the medical field is no exception. And while accusations of workplace sexual harassment can wreak havoc in any employer’s life, when a physician is accused of inappropriate behavior, it can also mean the loss of their medical license.

Workplace Sexual Harassment Continues to Exist in the United States

More than 6,500 complaints of workplace sexual harassment were filed with the EEOC in 2020, a decrease of about 1,000 complaints as compared to the year before. Although there are several factors which may play into that decrease, the COVID-19 pandemic causing business shutdowns and many employees working at home may have been a significant one. Unfortunately, the EEOC also estimates that a great many incidents of workplace sexual harassment go unreported because the victims fear there will be retaliation, the belief that nobody will believe the allegations to be true, and the belief that nothing will be done to stop the harassing behavior.                     

Sexual Harassment in the Medical Industry

Sexual harassment by physicians fall into two categories – both totally unacceptable according to the Federation of State Medical Boards. There is the workplace sexual harassment committed by physicians against other medical professionals, usually employees that they are in a place of power over. There are also cases of sexual harassment where doctors target patients.

It is a given in the medical community that any type of physician should have medical malpractice insurance. In today’s litigious society, with thousands of malpractice lawsuits filed every year, just one malpractice claim against a doctor could destroy them financially, both professionally and personally. However, many other licensed professionals, such as nurses, social workers, and counselors,can also face serious allegations that can impact their career and finances. Yet, many of these professionals do not have any kind of liability insurance to cover the costs of these claims. This is why having professional liability insurance can be a safety net to professional and financial disaster. 

Why You May Need Your Own Policy

Most nurses and social workers are covered under their employers’ liability insurance policies. For example, a nurse who works in a hospital would be covered under that hospital’s policy if a patient filed a malpractice lawsuit and that nurse was one of the parties named in the suit. However, that policy may not cover the cost to that nurse of defending his or her license before the Illinois Board of Nursing for any complaints that may result in that lawsuit.

Another important issue that nurses and social workers should consider is that many complaints that the Board of Nursing and Illinois Social Work Examining and Disciplinary Board receive are filed by the licensee’s own employer. These complaints usually occur after the licensee has been terminated from their job. So a nurse or social worker who needs a skilled and experienced Illinois professional license defense attorney to fight these charges with the board is now unemployed and may not have the resources to retain a much-needed attorney.

The winter holiday season is usually made up of get-togethers with family and friends, holiday work parties, and other celebrations. There is often alcohol involved in many of these gatherings and sometimes people can over imbibe. When an intoxicated individual gets behind the wheel, they may face charges for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). The consequences of a DUI conviction in Illinois can have a significant impact on anyone’s life, but if you are a doctor, a DUI conviction can also have an impact on your medical license and professional reputation.

DUI Penalties for Conviction

Anyone who is arrested for DUI in Illinois must face both the criminal justice system and the Secretary of State’s office in an administrative hearing. A person who refuses to submit to a chemical test faces an automatic loss of driving privileges under the Illinois implied consent laws. Failure of chemical testing also can result in automatic loss of license.

If a person is found guilty in the criminal process, they face a minimum revocation of driving privileges for one year for their first offense, five years for a second offense, 10 years for a third offense, and a lifetime revocation for a fourth or subsequent conviction. There may also be jail time and hefty fines imposed.

We have discussed many issues that can threaten a physician’s medical license in our blogs, including allegations of insurance fraud, substance abuse issues, and allegations of medical malpractice. These types of issues usually go through a process that is overseen by the Illinois Medical Board and – depending on the circumstances – often involves filing responses, hearings, and even appeals. However, there is one issue that could result in a suspension of a doctor’s medical license that does not involve that process and occurs quickly once it is requested. That issue is failure to pay court-ordered child support.

Illinois Child Support Law

Under the Illinois child support law, every parent has a legal duty to support their child and, according to the law, that duty “includes the obligation to provide for the reasonable and necessary physical, mental and emotional health needs of the child.” In most cases, child support is paid to the parent that the child will be spending the majority of time with.

A child support order is a legal order issued by a judge and if a parent fails or refuses to pay child support, the state has approved several actions that can be taken against the parent. Some of these actions include the following:

Hearing the word “audit” can trigger a stressful reaction, no matter what entity is conducting the audit. One of those entities is the Illinois Office of Inspector General. Receiving notification that your medical practice is under an audit or investigation by IG could result in severe consequences without the experienced and skilled representation of an Illinois medical license defense attorney.

Is There a Difference Between a Healthcare Audit and a Healthcare Investigation?

The two terms are often misunderstood to mean the same thing but there are specific differences between the two. A healthcare audit examines the behaviors and actions of the medical practice when it comes to the financial side of things. An audit will examine what the practice is issuing charges for, how funds are being spent, and if there is cohesiveness with all of these figures.

There are several reasons why a healthcare audit may be initiated. One of the most common issues that can trigger an audit is when an insurance provider makes a claim that the practice is overcharging for the services and care they provide. The insurance company may not accuse the practice of outright fraud, however, just that inquiry triggers an audit in order to provide the insurance company with the answers that justify the practice’s fees and charges.