Violations of a Professional License Settlement Agreement in Illinois

 Posted on September 17,2022 in Medical License Defense

Unfortunately, not all investigations of a professional license holder by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) are resolved with the allegations or complaints dismissed. There are cases where the board will find that the license holder violated a regulation and that some level of discipline is warranted.

In many situations, the professional will enter into some type of settlement agreement with the board that oversees their license (i.e., Illinois Medical Board, Illinois Nursing Board, etc.) in order to be able to continue practicing. But what happens if the license holder is accused of violating the settlement agreement? Does a violation mean an automatic suspension or revocation of a license?

Settlement Agreements

There are a variety of different reasons why a professional would be given the opportunity to enter into a settlement agreement to avoid loss of their professional license. For example, settlement agreements are often used in situations where the board finds there is enough evidence of a substance abuse issue for the license holder. In some cases, the professional may need to comply with daily check-ins either in-house or with one of the many companies that employers can contract with to oversee employee drug testing.

But life happens and it is not uncommon – especially for professionals in the medical industry – for scheduled shifts to get extended, to get unexpected double shifts, or for surgeries to go much longer than expected. The professional who is supposed to do their daily check-in or was scheduled to submit to a blood or urine drug test misses the appointment. If this happens too many times, the professional will likely receive a notification from the board that they have violated the terms of their settlement agreement, thereby violating the probation of their license.

Settlement Agreement Violations

Depending on the severity of the violation, violations of a settlement agreement could result in the board either imposing even harsher sanctions against the license holder or revoking the license altogether. However, the board cannot take any additional action until it holds a probation violation hearing.

Should you receive a notification of a potential violation, contact an Illinois professional license defense attorney right away. A skilled attorney will have the experience and legal knowledge to navigate through the hearing and argue before the board why the settlement agreement should not be voided and why you should keep your license to practice.

Contact an Illinois Medical License Defense Lawyer

If you have been notified by your board of either a complaint allegation or a probation violation, do not delay in calling The Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, Inc. at 630-310-1267 to schedule a confidential consultation with an Illinois professional license defense attorney and find out what steps we can take to help save your license and your professional reputation.

Source:

https://idfpr.illinois.gov/