Title 5, Title 5 and Professions

(a) An applicant for limited registration under this chapter who furnishes the division of professional regulation of the department of health with satisfactory proof that the applicant is eighteen (18) years of age or older and of good moral character; that the applicant has cre…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, a podiatrist of noteworthy and recognized professional attainment who is a clearly outstanding podiatrist and who has been offered by the dean of a medical school or podiatry school in this state a full-time academic appointme…

(a) The director of health and board members are immune from suit in any action, civil or criminal, based upon any disciplinary proceeding or other official act performed in good faith in the course of their duties under this chapter. There is no civil liability on the part of or…

The term “unprofessional conduct” as used in this chapter includes, but is not limited to, the following items or any combination of them and may be further defined by regulations established by the board with the approval of the director: (1) Fraudulent or deceptive procuring or…

(a) Any person, firm, corporation, or public officer may submit a written complaint to the board charging the holder of a license to practice podiatry or a limited registrant with unprofessional conduct, specifying the grounds for the charge. The board shall review all complaints…

(a) The board, with the approval of the director, may adopt regulations requiring any person, including, but not limited to, corporations, healthcare facilities, health-maintenance organizations, organizations and federal, state, or local governmental agencies, or peer-review boa…

(a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter, healthcare providers may make confidential healthcare information available to podiatry peer-review committees without authorization. (b) Confidential healthcare information before a podiatry peer-review committee remains stri…

(a) There is created within the department of health, the Rhode Island board of examiners in podiatry which shall be composed of the following members: four (4) licensed podiatrists; and one public member not associated with the podiatry or medical field. The governor shall appoi…

(a) Neither the proceedings nor the records of peer-review boards are subject to discovery or admissible in evidence in any case except litigation arising out of the imposition of sanctions upon a podiatrist. Any imposition or notice of a restriction of privileges or a requiremen…

All persons holding a license to practice podiatry in this state are entitled to practice podiatry.

No person granted a certificate under this chapter shall display or use the title “doctor” or its synonym without the designation “podiatrist” or “podiatric medicine and surgery” and shall not mislead the public about professional qualifications to treat human ailments.

Any person except a licensed podiatrist, a licensed osteopathic physician, or a physician, licensed to practice medicine or surgery, who practices or attempts to practice podiatry, or any person who buys, sells, or fraudulently obtains any diploma or license to practice podiatry,…

The selling or giving by any podiatrist of any substance or compound containing alcohol or narcotic drugs, for other than legal purposes, is a violation of this chapter, and grounds for revocation or suspension of the license of that podiatrist as provided in this chapter.

No person licensed to practice podiatry shall advertise by written or spoken words of a character tending to deceive or mislead the public.

Nothing in this chapter is construed to prohibit the fitting, recommending, or sale of orthopedic shoes by retail dealers or manufacturers; provided, that they are not made or fabricated from plaster casts or models or by any other means for specific individual persons except upo…

No podiatrist licensed under the provisions of this chapter or members of that profession licensed to practice in other states of the United States, who voluntarily and gratuitously and other than in the ordinary course of his or her employment or practice, renders emergency medi…

When the board determines that action is required, or the accused requests a hearing on allegations of unprofessional conduct, a specification of charges of unprofessional conduct against the licensee or limited registration holder shall be prepared by the board and a copy served…

The time of the hearing shall be fixed by the board as soon as is practical. The board shall issue a notice of the hearing of the charges, which notice shall specify the time and place of the hearing and notify the accused that he or she may file with the board a written response…

The chairperson shall appoint two (2) licensed podiatrist members of the board and one public member to serve as an examining committee for applicants applying for licensure as podiatrists. The examining committee for podiatrists shall recommend to the full board which shall reco…

Subpoenas may be issued by the board or the board’s constituted committees to compel the production of documents or other written records or the attendance and testimony of witnesses at any investigation or hearing. The board shall also issue subpoenas at the request and on behal…

After holding a hearing, the board shall make a written report of its findings of fact, conclusions of law, and disciplinary order, if any.

If a majority of the members of the board vote in favor of finding the accused guilty of unprofessional conduct as specified in the charges, the board shall prepare written findings of fact and law in support of that conclusion. The board shall immediately transmit its findings, …

If the accused is found guilty of unprofessional conduct as specified in § 5-29-32, the director, at the direction of the board, shall impose one or more of the following conditions: (1) Administer a reprimand; (2) Suspend, limit, or restrict his or her license or limited registr…

Any person who practices or attempts to practice podiatry in this state, without being licensed by and registered with the board, or without registering and obtaining annually a certificate of registration, as provided in this chapter, or who shall violate of which is not by law …

Any person who employs, hires, procures, or induces any other person not authorized by the provisions of this chapter to perform any act that constitutes the practice of podiatry in this state or aids or abets one not authorized in that practice is guilty of a felony punishable b…

Unless another penalty is provided by the laws of this state, any person who violates any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation adopted under this chapter shall upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or by imprisonment…

The director may, temporarily, suspend the license of a podiatrist or limited registrant without a hearing if the director finds that evidence in his or her possession indicates that a podiatrist or limited registrant continuing in practice would constitute an immediate danger to…

When it appears to the director and/or board that any person is violating any of the provisions of this chapter, the director and/or board may institute an action to enjoin the violation in a court of competent jurisdiction. The court may restrain and/or enjoin any person, firm, …

If any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation made under this chapter, or the application of this chapter to any person or circumstances, is held invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of the chapter, rule, or regulation, and the application of t…

The board has the following duties and powers: (1) To adopt, amend, and rescind any rules and regulations with the approval of the director as is necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter; (2) To investigate all complaints and charges of unprofessional conduct against…

The following practices, acts, and operations are exempt from the operation of this chapter: (1) Physicians in the regular discharge of their duties. (2) The operation by bona fide students of podiatry in the clinical departments or the laboratory of a school of podiatry approved…

The omission of this chapter as a citation of any general law or public law now in force that makes it mandatory under or permissive for any department, division, or other agency of the state to perform certain functions that by this chapter are assigned or transferred to the dep…

All rules, regulations, standards, notices of violation, or orders issued, adopted, modified, or repealed by the board of examiners in podiatry pursuant to any of the provisions of this chapter remain in effect until subsequent action of the director of health or board of examine…

The proceeds of any fees collected pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be deposited as general revenues.

The director has the following duties and powers: (1) To issue, pursuant to any rules and regulations promulgated by the board and approved by the director, all licenses and registrations required by this chapter to duly qualified applicants; (2) To deny licenses and registration…

(a) All persons subsequently desiring to commence the practice of podiatry in this state shall apply to the division of professional regulation for a license. Applicants for examination shall present to the division, at least thirty (30) days before the commencement of the examin…

The division of professional regulation board of podiatry examiners is empowered to review applications as defined in this chapter and to require a minimum application fee as set forth in § 23-1-54 at the time of application. Application fees are not refundable unless due to sick…

(a) All applicants are required to take an examination with respect to theory as well as a practical examination. Any applicant who has fulfilled all requirements other than completion of residency is permitted to take the theoretical examination, but no applicant is permitted to…

There shall be no reciprocity in granting licenses for the practice of podiatric medicine and surgery (podiatry) to licensees from other states or countries.