Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 19, September 20, 2024
A. In this regulation, "health care provider"
means an individual who is a:
(1) Licensed
physician;
(2) Licensed respiratory
care practitioner;
(3) Licensed
radiographer;
(4) Licensed nuclear
medical technologist;
(5) Licensed
radiation therapist;
(6) Licensed
radiologist assistant;
(7) Licensed
polysomnographic technologist;
(8)
Licensed athletic trainer;
(9)
Licensed perfusionist;
(10)
Licensed naturopathic doctor; or
(11) Licensed physician assistant.
B. Health Occupations Article,
§§14-404(b),
14-5 A-17(c), 14-5B-14(c), 14-5C-17(c), 14-5D-14(b), 14-5E-16(c), 14-5F-18(c)
and 15-314(b), Annotated Code of Maryland, govern mandatory actions of the
suspension or revocation of a license on the filing of certified docket
entries, if the health care provider is convicted of or pleads guilty,
including by an Alford plea, or a plea of nolo contendere to a crime involving
moral turpitude.
C. Procedures.
(1) The Office of the Attorney General
through Board counsel shall provide to the disciplinary panel assigned to the
case certified docket entries of the criminal court proceeding and the
following documents from the court record:
(a) For a conviction, at least:
(i) The indictment, information, or other
formal statement of the charges; and
(ii) Documentation of the verdict and
sentencing; and
(b) For
a plea of guilty, including an Alford plea, or a plea of nolo contendere, at
least one of the following:
(i) Stipulated
statement of facts or statement of facts on the record;
(ii) Plea agreement containing agreed
facts;
(iii) Transcript of plea
agreement proceedings; or
(iv)
Written or transcribed opinion or statement of the judge accepting the
plea.
(2)
When the disciplinary panel determines that documents provided to it indicate
that the respondent comes within the language and intent of Health Occupations
Article, §14-404(b),
14-5 A-17(c), 14-5B-14(c), 14-5C-17(c), 14-5D-14(b), 14-5E-16(c), 14-5F-18(c)
or 15-314(b), Annotated Code of Maryland, and the disciplinary panel has a
basis for finding preliminarily that it applies to the respondent, the
disciplinary panel shall vote to issue an order requiring the respondent to
show cause why the disciplinary panel should not take action under this
section.
(3) After the vote to
issue the show cause order, the disciplinary panel shall refer the matter to
the administrative prosecutor for prosecutorial action.
(4) Based upon a review of the case, the
prosecutor may refer the matter back to the disciplinary panel for further
consideration.
D.
Service.
(1) The disciplinary panel shall
serve the respondent by regular mail or hand delivery at the address the
respondent maintains for purposes of licensure notice.
(2) The disciplinary panel may choose to
serve the respondent personally.
E. Opportunity to be Heard.
(1) The respondent, after service of the show
cause order, has 30 days in which to respond.
(2) The respondent may show cause in writing
on the following issues:
(a) Lack of
conviction or plea;
(b) Whether the
crime is one involving moral turpitude;
(c) Misidentity of the respondent with the
defendant in the criminal matter; and
(d) Other relevant issues, if any, other than
mitigation.
(3) The
respondent may also, within 30 days of service of the show cause order, request
an opportunity to address the disciplinary panel by a limited evidentiary
hearing on the same issues. However, this argument may not be as of right, but
is discretionary based on the existence of genuine issues of material fact or
law as determined by the disciplinary panel.
(4) The presiding disciplinary panel member,
usually the disciplinary panel chair, shall determine all procedural issues
that are governed by this section, and may impose reasonable time limitations.
The presiding disciplinary panel member shall make any rulings reasonably
necessary to facilitate the effective and efficient operation of the hearing.
Ordinarily, the respondent and the administrative prosecutor shall limit their
oral presentation to 20 minutes each. The respondent shall proceed
first.
(5) The presiding
disciplinary panel member shall allow for consideration of documents the
presiding disciplinary panel member determines relevant and material. The
presiding disciplinary panel member may not admit oral testimony or
witnesses.
(6) Disciplinary panel
members may ask questions of any party appearing before the disciplinary
panel.
F.
Representation.
(1) The respondent may appear
in proper person or be represented by counsel.
(2) The administrative prosecutor shall
present argument in support of the proposed sanction.
G. Burdens of Production and Persuasion.
(1) The respondent may argue issues as set
out in §E(2) of this regulation and has the burden of producing argument
or evidence in response to the show cause order.
(2) The administrative prosecutor bears the
burden of persuasion by a preponderance of the evidence that the respondent was
convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a crime of moral
turpitude.
H.
Disciplinary Panel Action.
(1) After
consideration of the respondent's answer, either in writing or at a hearing,
the disciplinary panel shall deliberate and determine whether the crime is a
crime involving moral turpitude, and then shall issue an appropriate
order.
(2) A pending appeal of the
conviction or plea does not operate as a bar to the disciplinary panel's acting
under Health Occupations Article, §14-404(b)(1),
14-5 A-17(c)(1), 14-5B-14(c)(1), 14-5C-17(c), 14-5D-14(b)(1), 14-5E-16(c),
14-5F-18(c) or 15-314(b), Annotated Code of Maryland.
(3) A respondent suspended pursuant to Health
Occupations Article, §14-404(b),
14-5 A-17(c), 14-5B-14(c), 14-5C-17(c), 14-5D-14(b)(1), 14-5E-16(e),
14-5F-18(c) or 15-314(b), Annotated Code of Maryland, shall be reinstated
immediately upon the filing of a certified docket entry that the conviction has
been reversed. The reinstatement does not terminate any other disciplinary
action or investigation pending against the respondent.