Title 5, Title 5 and Professions

(a) The certificate of every person licensed as a veterinarian under the provisions of this chapter expires on the first day of May of each even-numbered year. On or before the first day of March of each two-year (2) period, the department shall mail an application for renewal of…

(a) Every veterinary practice shall provide some form of referral for emergency veterinary services when a veterinarian is not available. That referral, at the minimum, shall be a combination of a posted sign at the veterinary practice entrance and access to emergency veterinary …

The division has the power to deny, revoke, or suspend any license issued under this chapter or otherwise discipline a licensee upon proof of the following: (1) Conviction of a felony; and conviction of a crime arising out of the practice of veterinary medicine; (2) Addiction to …

(a) When a written allegation is filed with the division charging a person with having been guilty of any of the actions specified in § 5-25-14, the division of professional regulation shall immediately investigate those charges. (b) In the event the investigation reveals reasona…

Any person aggrieved by any final decision or ruling of the division or the director has a right to appeal as provided in chapter 35 of title 42.

(a) No veterinarian licensed under the provisions of this chapter or members of the same profession duly licensed to practice in other states of the United States, who voluntarily and gratuitously and other than in the course of his or her employment or practice renders emergency…

As used in this chapter: (1) “Animal” means any animal other than humans and includes, by way of illustration, not limitation, fowl, birds, fish, livestock, and reptiles, wild or domestic, living or dead. (2) “Department” means the Rhode Island department of health. (3) “Director…

The governor shall appoint a board of veterinary medicine. The board shall be composed of six (6) members whose terms of office shall extend for three (3) years and until a successor is appointed. Five (5) members of the board shall be veterinarians licensed in the state, one of …

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

Five (5) members of the board shall: (1) Be residents of this state and licensed to practice within this state for at least five (5) years prior to appointment; and (2) Be actively engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine for at least five (5) of the seven (7) years immedia…

All fees or funds collected under this chapter shall be paid into the state general treasury.

(a) The board is authorized to recommend to the department and director of health for his or her approval, the adoption, and from time to time, the revision, of any rules and regulations not inconsistent with law that are necessary to enable the department to carry into effect th…

(a) Any person shall be regarded as practicing veterinary medicine, surgery, and dentistry within the meaning of this chapter when he or she does any of the following, either directly or indirectly: (1) Represents himself or herself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medici…

(a) A veterinarian subject to the provisions of this chapter shall keep a written record, or a computerized record able to produce a printed copy, of all animals receiving veterinary services, and provide a summary of that record to the owner of animals receiving veterinary servi…

Any person who is not lawfully authorized to practice veterinary medicine and is not registered or exempt from registration, as defined in this chapter, who practices or attempts to practice veterinary medicine or who holds himself or herself out to the public as a practitioner o…

Complaints for the violation of the provisions of this chapter may be made by the director of the department of health, the administrator of the division of professional regulation, the executive director or authorized agent of the board of veterinary medicine, or any person incl…

Within the department of health there shall be a division of professional regulation, and the director of health shall appoint an administrator of that division, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 4 of title 36. The administrator of the division of professional regulati…

The director of health, with the approval of the governor, shall also appoint to the division of professional regulation a board of nursing registration and education as provided by chapter 34 of this title, and a board of examiners of each of the following arts, practices, scien…

The examiners appointed for each specific art, practice, science, or calling referred to in § 5-26-2 shall be persons competent to give those examinations and shall be appointed from persons licensed to practice such an art, practice, science, or calling in this state, except tha…

The membership of the boards of examiners mentioned in § 5-26-2 shall be for terms of three (3) years. On the expiration of the term of any member, the director of health, by and with the advice and consent of the governor, shall fill the vacancy by appointment for a term of thre…

The director of health shall cause examinations to be held as required by law for the various arts and practices enumerated in § 5-26-2. Members of each board of examiners as enumerated in § 5-26-2 shall not be compensated for their service on the board of examiners.

The division of professional regulation and the licensing and examining boards established in this title shall administer their licensing or certification programs in a manner that does not violate the requirements of 29 U.S.C. § 794, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., and chapter 87 of …

(a) “Board” means the Rhode Island board of examiners in podiatry. (b) “Department” means the Rhode Island department of health. (c) “Director” means the director of the Rhode Island department of health. (d) “Healthcare facility” means any institutional health service provider l…

All licenses to practice podiatry shall be renewed biennially on the date of expiration. Every person licensed to practice podiatry pursuant to this chapter shall make application for renewal of the license. The application shall be accompanied or supported by evidence of the com…

The biennial renewal fee shall be as set forth in § 23-1-54.

(a) The director upon recommendation from the board shall, after due notice and a hearing in accordance with procedures set forth in this chapter, refuse to grant the original license provided for in this chapter to any podiatrist and/or applicant who is not of good moral charact…

(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…