State Health Program Monitors Physician Sex Misconduct Cases in Secrecy
The Chicago Tribune recently reported on a controversial program in Illinois that is drawing criticism for privately monitoring health care professionals with sexual misconduct violations. The article suggests that the program shields dangerous doctors by providing them an alternative outlet to public disciplinary action.
The Illinois Professionals Health Program privately monitors hundreds of healthcare professionals facing allegations of disruptive behavior, boundary violations and most recently, sexual misconduct. The government-run monitoring program is geared toward treatment rather than discipline and allows offenders to practice even when convicted of crimes.
Doctor Venkatesan Deenadayalu was one of the doctors profiled in the Tribune report, who entered the private program after he was convicted of sexual abusing a patient at his Downer’s Grove clinic. Under watch of the program, Deenadayalu was evaluated by a fellow doctor who deemed him safe to continue practicing and was free to continue seeing patients for two years until state regulators finally suspended his license.
Employers and state regulators can order doctors to participate in the program, which appears to be happening with increased frequency, or doctors can voluntarily participate.