Rhode Island § 23-74-13 - Unlicensed Health Care Practices

§ 23-74-13. Additional remedies.

(a) Cease and desist.

(1) The director may issue a cease and desist order to stop a person from violating or threatening to violate a statute, rule, or order which the department has issued or is empowered to enforce. The cease and desist order must state the reason for its issuance and give notice of the person’s right to request a hearing under the provisions of both this chapter and chapter 1 of title 23. If, within fifteen (15) days of service of the order, the subject of the order fails to request a hearing in writing, the order is the final order of the director and is not reviewable by a court or agency.

(2) A hearing must be initiated by the department not later than thirty (30) days from the date of the department’s receipt of a written hearing request. Within thirty (30) days of the hearing the director shall issue a final order modifying, vacating, or making permanent the cease and desist order, as the facts require. The final order remains in effect until modified or vacated by the director.

(3) When a request for a stay accompanies a timely hearing request, the director may, in the director’s discretion, grant the stay. If the director does not grant a requested stay, the director shall refer the request to the superior court within three (3) working days of receipt of the request. Within ten (10) days after receiving the request from the director, a superior court judge shall issue an order to grant or deny the stay.

(4) In the event of noncompliance with a cease and desist order, the director may institute a proceeding in superior court to obtain injunctive relief or other appropriate relief, including a civil penalty payable to the department not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each separate violation.

(b) Injunctive relief. In addition to any other remedy provided by law, including the issuance of a cease and desist order under subsection (a) of this section, the director may in his or her own name, bring an action in superior court for injunctive relief to restrain an unlicensed health care practitioner from a violation or threatened violation of any statute, rule, or order which the director is empowered to regulate, enforce, or issue.

(c) Additional powers. The issuance of a cease and desist order or injunctive relief granted under this section does not relieve a practitioner from criminal prosecution by a competent authority or from disciplinary action by the director.