Maryland Statutes
Subtitle 5A - Respiratory Care Practitioners
Section 14-5A-17 - Denials, Reprimands, Suspensions, and Revocations -- in General

(a)    Subject to the hearing provisions of § 14–405 of this title, a disciplinary panel, on the affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum of the disciplinary panel, may deny a license to any applicant, reprimand any licensee, place any licensee on probation, or suspend or revoke a license, if the applicant or licensee:
        (1)    Fraudulently or deceptively obtains or attempts to obtain a license for the applicant, licensee, or for another;
        (2)    Fraudulently or deceptively uses a license;
        (3)    Is guilty of unprofessional or immoral conduct in the practice of respiratory care;
        (4)    Is professionally, physically, or mentally incompetent;
        (5)    Abandons a patient;
        (6)    Is habitually intoxicated;
        (7)    Is addicted to or habitually abuses any narcotic or controlled dangerous substance as defined in § 5–101 of the Criminal Law Article;
        (8)    Provides professional services while:
            (i)    Under the influence of alcohol; or
            (ii)    Using any narcotic or controlled dangerous substance as defined in § 5–101 of the Criminal Law Article or any other drug that is in excess of therapeutic amounts or without valid medical indication;
        (9)    Promotes the sale of services, drugs, devices, appliances, or goods to a patient so as to exploit the patient for financial gain;
        (10)    Willfully makes or files a false report or record in the practice of respiratory care;
        (11)    Willfully fails to file or record any report as required under law, willfully impedes or obstructs the filing or recording of a report, or induces another to fail to file or record a report;
        (12)    Breaches patient confidentiality;
        (13)    Pays or agrees to pay any sum or provide any form of remuneration or material benefit to any person for bringing or referring a patient or accepts or agrees to accept any sum or any form of remuneration or material benefit from an individual for bringing or referring a patient;
        (14)    Knowingly makes a misrepresentation while practicing respiratory care;
        (15)    Knowingly practices respiratory care with an unauthorized individual or aids an unauthorized individual in the practice of respiratory care;
        (16)    Offers, undertakes, or agrees to cure or treat disease by a secret method, treatment, or medicine;
        (17)    Is disciplined by a licensing or disciplinary authority or is convicted or disciplined by a court of any state or country or is disciplined by any branch of the United States uniformed services or the Veterans’ Administration for an act that would be grounds for disciplinary action under the Board’s disciplinary statutes;
        (18)    Fails to meet appropriate standards for the delivery of respiratory care performed in any inpatient or outpatient facility, office, hospital or related institution, domiciliary care facility, patient’s home, or any other location in this State;
        (19)    Knowingly submits false statements to collect fees for which services are not provided;
        (20)    (i)    Has been subject to investigation or disciplinary action by a licensing or disciplinary authority or by a court of any state or country for an act that would be grounds for disciplinary action under the Board’s disciplinary statutes; and
            (ii)    Has:
                1.    Surrendered the license issued by the state or country; or
                2.    Allowed the license issued by the state or country to expire or lapse;
        (21)    Knowingly fails to report suspected child abuse in violation of § 5–704 of the Family Law Article;
        (22)    Sells, prescribes, gives away, or administers drugs for illegal or illegitimate medical purposes;
        (23)    Practices or attempts to practice beyond the authorized scope of practice;
        (24)    Refuses, withholds from, denies, or discriminates against an individual with regard to the provision of professional services for which the licensee is licensed and qualified to render because the individual is HIV positive;
        (25)    Practices or attempts to practice a respiratory care procedure or uses or attempts to use respiratory care equipment if the applicant or licensee has not received education and training in the performance of the procedure or the use of the equipment;
        (26)    Fails to cooperate with a lawful investigation conducted by the Board or a disciplinary panel;
        (27)    Fails to practice under the supervision of a physician or violates a supervisory order of a supervising physician; or
        (28)    Fails to complete a criminal history records check under § 14–308.1 of this title.
    (b)    Except as otherwise provided in the Administrative Procedure Act, before the Board or a disciplinary panel takes any action under subsection (a) of this section, it shall give the individual against whom the action is contemplated an opportunity for a hearing before the Board or the disciplinary panel in accordance with the hearing requirements of § 14–405 of this title.
    (c)    (1)    On the filing of certified docket entries with the Board by the Office of the Attorney General, a disciplinary panel shall order the suspension of a license if the licensee is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere with respect to a crime involving moral turpitude, whether or not any appeal or other proceeding is pending to have the conviction or plea set aside.
        (2)    After completion of the appellate process if the conviction has not been reversed or the plea has not been set aside with respect to a crime involving moral turpitude, a disciplinary panel shall order the revocation of a license on the certification by the Office of the Attorney General.
    (d)    (1)    If, after a hearing under § 14–405 of this title, a disciplinary panel finds that there are grounds under subsection (a) of this section to suspend or revoke a license, to reprimand a licensee, or to place a licensee on probation, the disciplinary panel may impose a fine subject to the Board’s regulations in addition to suspending or revoking the license, reprimanding the licensee, or placing the licensee on probation.
        (2)    The Board shall pay any fines collected under this section into the General Fund of the State.
    (e)    In addition to any sanction authorized under this section, a disciplinary panel may require a licensee to comply with specified terms and conditions determined by the disciplinary panel.