KRS 311.565: Powers and functions of board -- Fees -- Fines -- Guidelines and training

for allegations of sexual misconduct by professionals.

(1) The board may:

(a) Exercise all the administrative functions of the state in the prevention of

empiricism and in the r egulation of the practice of medicine and osteopathy,

which shall include but not be limited to promulgation of reasonable

administrative regulations enabling the board to regulate the conduct of its

licensees;

(b) Promulgate reasonable administrative regulations establishing moral, physical,

intellectual, educational, scientific, technical, and professional qualifications

of applicants for licenses and permits that may be issued by the board;

(c) Issue, deny, suspend, limit, restrict, and revoke any licens es or permits that

may be issued by the board, and to reprimand or to place licensees on

probation, in compliance with the provisions of KRS 311.530 to 311.620;

(d) Appoint an executive director and assistant executive directors and fix their

compensation. The executive director shall oversee the work of the board,

shall be authorized to discharge the duties of the secretary, as provided by

KRS 311.530 to 311.620, and shall carry out the duties of the executive

director as set forth elsewhere in this chapter;

(e) Appoint a general counsel and assistant general counsel and fix their

compensation;

(f) Appoint investigatory personnel and fix their compensation;

(g) Appoint one (1) or more hearing officers, who need not be members of the

board, and fix their com pensation. Every hearing officer shall be vested with

the full and complete power and authority of the board to schedule and

conduct hearings on behalf of and in the name of the board on all matters

referred for hearing by the board or secretary thereof, i ncluding, among other

things, proceedings for placing licensees on probation and for limitation,

suspension, and revocation of licenses. All administrative hearings conducted

by the board, a member of the board, or a hearing officer appointed by the

board, shall be conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B. No hearing

officer shall be empowered to place any licensee on probation or to issue,

refuse, suspend, limit, or revoke any license;

(h) Appoint committees of licensees, who need not be board members, to review

issues of public or medical interest before the board and to make

recommendations to the board on the issues;

(i) Promulgate administrative regulations to promote the efficient and fair

conduct of disciplinary proceedings;

(j) Promulgate a code of conduct governing the practice of medicine and

osteopathy, which shall be based upon generally recognized principles of

professional ethical conduct;

(k) Utilize the services and facilities of professional organizations, and procure

and receive the assistance and recommendations of professional organizations

in administering KRS 311.530 to 311.620;

(l) Make its personnel and facilities available to other governmental entities

under mutually agreeable terms and conditions;

(m) Issue regular licenses witho ut further testing by endorsement from another

state having qualifications and standards at least as high as those of this state

or by endorsement from the National Board of Medical Examiners, the

National Board of Examiners for Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, the

National Joint Committee of Preregistration Physician Training Programs, or

any approved successors thereof;

(n) Issue and renew regular licenses to practice medicine or osteopathy in

accordance with KRS 311.530 to 311.62 0 and any reasonable regulations of

the board;

(o) Issue and renew, or refuse to issue or renew, or cancel and terminate limited

licenses pursuant to administrative regulations promulgated by the board;

provided however, no person who held a limited licens e for institutional

practice or general practice as of September 1, 1972, shall be denied the

renewal of that limited license for nondisciplinary reasons;

(p) Appoint examiners, who need not be members of the board, and employ or

contract with the Federati on of State Medical Boards of the United States,

Inc., or the National Board of Medical Examiners or other organizations,

agencies, or individuals to prepare examination questions and grade

examination papers;

(q) Determine the schools, colleges, universit ies, institutions, and training

acceptable in connection with licensure under KRS 311.530 to 311.620;

(r) Prescribe the time, place, method, manner, scope, and content of

examinations;

(s) Prescribe all forms which it considers appropriate, and require the submission

of photographs, fingerprints, and personal history data;

(t) Require a criminal background investigation of all persons applying for

licensure at the time of initial application, and at other times at the request of

the board for good cause sho wn, by means of a fingerprint check by the

Department of Kentucky State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(u) Prescribe and collect reasonable fees and charges for examinations,

directories, and the issuance and renewal of licenses and permits; and

(v) Impose fines of not greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000) per violation

and require the licensee to reimburse the board for the costs of the

administrative proceedings including consultant fees, upon a finding pursuant

to disciplinary proceedi ngs that the licensee has violated any provision of

KRS 311.595 to 311.597 or duly promulgated disciplinary regulation of the

board.

(2) The board shall develop specific guidelines to follow upon receipt of an allegation

of sexual misconduct by a physician licensed by the board. The guidelines shall

include investigation, inquiry, and hearing procedures which ensure that the process

does not revictimize the alleged victim or cause harm if a physician is falsely

accused.

(3) The board, the hearing officer, a nd investigators hired by the board shall receive

training on the dynamics of sexual misconduct of professionals, including the nature

of this abuse of authority, characteristics of the offender, the impact on the victim,

the possibility and the impact of false accusations, investigative procedure in sex

offense cases, and effective intervention with victims and offenders.