Illinois Administrative Code
Title 68 - PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
Part 1140 - ACUPUNCTURE PRACTICE ACT
Section 1140.90 - Continuing Education
Universal Citation: 68 IL Admin Code ยง 1140.90
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) Continuing Education Hours Requirements
1)
Every licensee who applies for renewal or restoration of an acupuncturist
license shall complete 30 hours of CE relevant to the professional skills and
scientific knowledge of the licensee in the practice of acupuncture.
2) A pre-renewal period is the 24 months
preceding June 30 of each odd-numbered year.
3) One CE hour shall equal one 60-minute
clock hour with not less than 50 minutes of instructional content within the
hour. 30 to 49 minutes of instructional content would be reported be as 0.5 CE
hour and 50 to 60 minutes of instructional content would be reported as 1.0 CE
hour.
4) A renewal applicant shall
not be required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal of an
Illinois acupuncturist license.
5)
Acupuncturists licensed in Illinois but residing and practicing in other states
shall comply with the CE requirements set forth in this Section.
6) CE credit hours used to satisfy the CE
requirements of another state may be applied to fulfill the CE requirements of
the State of Illinois if they meet the requirements for CE in
Illinois.
b) Approved Continuing Education
1) Except for those
activities listed in subsections (b)(3), (4), (5) and (6), all CE hours must be
earned through sponsors approved under subsection (c) and must comply with
program requirements set forth in subsection (c).
2) A maximum of 23 hours of CE credit may be
earned in a pre-renewal period for completion of self-study (including online,
correspondence, audio or video) courses that are provided by a sponsor approved
by the Division pursuant to subsection (c). Each self-study course shall
include an examination that the licensee must pass to obtain credit.
3) A maximum of 30 hours of CE credit may be
earned in a pre-renewal period for successful completion of post-graduate
courses related to the clinical aspects of acupuncture at a school of
acupuncture accredited by ACAOM or a similar accrediting body approved by the
Division. CE credit will be allotted at the rate of 15 CE hours for each
semester hour or 10 CE hours for each quarter hour of school credit
awarded.
4) A maximum of 15 hours
of CE credit may be earned in a pre-renewal period for verified teaching of
coursework that is part of the curriculum of an acupuncture program accredited
by ACAOM or a similar accrediting body approved by the Division and/or as an
instructor of CE programs provided by a sponsor approved by the Division
pursuant to subsection (c). Credit will be applied at the rate of
1.5 hours for each hour of
teaching or presenting the course or program material and only for the first
presentation of the course or program (i.e., credit shall not be allowed for
repetitious presentations of the same program).
5) A maximum of 5 hours of CE credit may be
earned in a pre-renewal period for completion of coursework that is part of the
curriculum of an accredited college or university and/or for completion of CE
programs in Illinois approved by the Division but not approved under this Part.
The course or program material must be relevant to the professional skills and
scientific knowledge of the licensee in the practice of acupuncture.
6) A maximum of 5 hours of CE credit may be
earned in a pre-renewal period for authoring papers published in refereed
professional journals or books.
c) Approved CE Sponsors and Programs
1) Approved sponsor, as used in this Section,
shall mean:
A) American Association of
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or its affiliates;
B) Asian American Acupuncture Association, or
its affiliates;
C) Illinois
Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, or its affiliates;
D) Korean American Acupuncture Association of
Illinois, or its affiliates;
E)
Chicago Korean American Acupuncture Association, or its affiliates;
F) The National Certification Commission for
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and individuals and organizations approved by
NCCAOM to provide acupuncture CE programs; or
G) American Society of Acupuncturists, or its
affiliates;
H) American Academy of
Medical Acupuncture; or
I) Any
other person, firm, association, corporation or group that has been approved
and authorized by the Division pursuant to subsection (c)(2) upon the
recommendation of the Board to coordinate and present CE programs.
2) Entities seeking registration
as a CE sponsor pursuant to subsection (c)(1)(I) shall file a CE sponsor
application, a sample CE program in accordance with subsection (c)(3), a sample
evaluation in accordance with subsection (c)(4), and a sample certificate of
attendance in accordance with subsection (c)(5) along with the fee specified in
Section
1140.20. (State agencies,
State colleges and State universities in Illinois shall be exempt from paying
this fee.) The applicant shall also certify to the following:
A) That all programs offered by the sponsor
for CE credit will comply with the criteria in subsection (c)(3) and all other
criteria in this Section;
B) That
the sponsor will be responsible for verifying attendance at each program and
provide a certificate of attendance as set forth in subsection
(c)(5);
C) That, upon request by
the Division, the sponsor will submit evidence necessary to establish
compliance with this Section. Evidence shall be required when the Division has
reason to believe that there is not full compliance with the statute and this
Part and that this information is necessary to ensure compliance.
3) All programs shall:
A) Contribute to the advancement, extension
and enhancement of the professional skills and scientific knowledge of the
licensee in the practice of acupuncture that includes direct and indirect
patient care, acupuncture treatment, treatment techniques, point location and
theory, herbal therapy or preparation, and ethics;
B) Foster the enhancement of general or
specialized acupuncture practice and values;
C) Be developed and presented by persons with
education and/or experience in the subject matter of the program;
D) Specify the course objectives, course
content and teaching methods to be used; and
E) Specify the number of CE hours that may be
applied to fulfilling the Illinois CE requirements for acupuncturist license
renewal.
4) Each CE
program shall provide a mechanism for participants to evaluate the program and
the instructor.
5) It shall be the
responsibility of the sponsor to provide each participant in a program with a
certificate of attendance to verify completion of the program. The sponsor's
certificate of attendance shall contain:
A)
The sponsor's name, address and Illinois CE sponsor registration
number;
B) The participant's name
and Illinois acupuncturist license number;
C) The title of the program and a brief
description of the subject matter;
D) The number of hours attended by the
participant;
E) The date and
location of the program; and
F) The
signature of the sponsor.
6) The sponsor shall be responsible for
assuring that each participant receives CE credit only for time spent attending
the program.
7) The sponsor shall
maintain attendance records for not less than 5 years.
8) All programs given by approved sponsors
shall be open to all licensed acupuncturists and not be limited to members of a
single organization or group.
9) An
approved sponsor may subcontract with individuals and organizations to provide
programs in accordance with the criteria set forth in this Section.
10) To maintain approval as a registered CE
sponsor, each sponsor shall submit a renewal application in accordance with
Section
1140.60, along with the
renewal fee specified in Section 1140.20. Upon the Division's request, the
sponsor shall provide a list of each program provided by the sponsor in the
pre-renewal period, including the name of the program, a brief description of
the subject matter, the number of credit hours available, the program date, and
the location of the program.
11)
Upon the failure of a sponsor to comply with any of the foregoing requirements,
the Division, after notice to the sponsor and hearing before and recommendation
by the Board (see 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1110), shall thereafter refuse to accept
for CE credit attendance at or participation in any of that sponsor's CE
programs until such time as the Division receives assurances of compliance with
this Section.
12) Notwithstanding
any other provision of this Section, the Division or Board may evaluate any
sponsor of any approved CE program at any time to ensure compliance with the
requirements of this Section.
d) Certification of Compliance with CE Requirements
1) Each renewal applicant shall
certify, on the renewal application, full compliance with the CE requirements
set forth in subsections (a) and (b).
2) The Division may require additional
evidence demonstrating compliance with the CE requirements (e.g., certificate
of attendance). This additional evidence may be required in the context of the
Division's random audit. It is the responsibility of each renewal applicant to
retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance.
3) When there appears to be a lack of
compliance with CE requirements, a renewal applicant shall be notified in
writing, which shall include electronic communication. At that time, the Board
may recommend that steps be taken to begin formal disciplinary proceedings as
required by Section 10-65 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act [
5 ILCS 100/10-65
].
e) Continuing Education Earned in Other Jurisdictions
1) If
a licensee will be earning or has earned CE hours in another state or territory
for which the licensee will be claiming credit toward full compliance in
Illinois and the sponsor is not approved by the Division pursuant to subsection
(c), the applicant shall submit an out-of-state CE approval form, a description
and schedule of the CE program, a description of the instructor's
qualifications, proof of registration or attendance, and a $25 processing fee,
prior to participation in the program or 90 days prior to the expiration of his
or her acupuncturist license. The Board or division shall review and recommend
approval or disapproval of the program using the criteria set forth in this
Section.
2) If a licensee fails to
submit an out of state CE approval form within the time frame specified in
subsection (e)(1), late approval may be obtained by submitting an out-of-state
CE approval form, a description and schedule of the CE program, a description
of the instructor's qualifications, and proof of attendance, along with the
required fee. The required fee shall be a $25 processing fee plus a late fee of
$10 for each CE hour for which late approval is requested. The late fee shall
not exceed $150. The Board or Division shall review and recommend approval or
disapproval of the program using the criteria set forth in this
Section.
f) Waiver of CE Requirements
1) Any renewal applicant seeking
renewal of a license without having fully complied with these CE requirements
shall file with the Division a renewal application along with the required fee
set forth in Section 1140.20, a statement setting forth the facts concerning
non-compliance, and a request for waiver of all or part of the CE requirements
on the basis of these facts. A request for waiver shall be made prior to the
expiration date of the license. If the Division, upon the written
recommendation of the Board, finds from such affidavit or any other evidence
submitted that extreme hardship has been shown for granting a waiver, the
Division shall waive enforcement of the CE requirements for the license renewal
for which the applicant has applied.
2) Extreme hardship shall be determined on an
individual basis by the Board and be defined as an inability to devote
sufficient hours to fulfilling the CE requirements during the applicable
pre-renewal period because of:
A) Full-time
service in the armed forces of the United States of America during a
substantial part of the pre-renewal period;
B) An incapacitating illness during a
substantial part of the pre-renewal period, documented by a statement from a
currently licensed physician;
C) A
physical inability to travel to the sites of approved programs during a
substantial part of the pre-renewal period, documented by a currently licensed
physician; or
D) Any other similar
extenuating circumstances.
3) Any renewal applicant who, prior to the
expiration date of the license, submits a request for a waiver, in whole or in
part, pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be deemed to be in good
standing until the final decision on the application is made by the
Division.
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