Personal Injury Law

Doctor Sexual Misconduct Needs To Be Explained to Illinois Patients

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

Chicago Breaking News reported last week on a secret monitoring program for potentially abusive doctors that remains hidden from the public.

Several years ago the state?s doctor?s lobby pushed for the creation of the Illinois Professionals Health Program?a project that provides private treatment for health care professionals with sexual misconduct problems. Some of the doctors involved were criminally convicted for their conduct.

The group has been criticized from its inception.

No one questions the importance of proper treatment for all citizens who have shown problematic conduct, including those who commit sexual crimes. However, besides treatment it is also imperative that there be disciplinary action and information sharing with the public. It is vital that all those seeking medical care have reasonable information about the risks of visiting a potential doctor.

That is where the health program is problematic.

The treatment program is shrouded in secrecy. The private program is almost entirely walled-off from the public. That means that abusive doctors are allowed to use the program as a way to hide their problems from the public and treat patients following their misconduct without any repercussions at all. For example, one Illinois doctor from a Chicago suburb entered the program after he was convicted of sexual abuse and battery of a patient. By entering the program, the doctor avoided all public discipline because of the private monitoring. He now continues to practice. In many ways the program acts as a get-out-of ?jail free card.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on January 03, 2011 (boomark / email).