Illinois

Each state has its own set of statutes and regulations on licensing doctors, accommodating patients who wish to file complaints, and releasing information about physicians who have been subject to discipline and legal action. On this page, we’re sharing the key findings regarding Illinois, which we will continue to update as the series progresses.

Key fact: Illinois doesn’t post board orders online. Instead, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation provides only short descriptions for actions of the past 10 years. Older information is removed from the website.

Researching a doctor

  • Accurate records of sexual abuse accusations against doctors are not always easily accessible. In Illinois, the best chance of finding problems is to search the records offered by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Please note that license search results typically include all public disciplinary actions, not just those involving sexual misconduct, and can sometimes include vague language. Also, some states deal with some disciplinary issues privately; private board orders are not included.

Where to file a complaint

Quoted

“The sexual assault, itself, was not medical care…”

—The Illinois Supreme Court in a 2011 ruling dismissing a lawsuit against a hospital. A patient said the hospital negligently supervised a doctor who she said committed a deviant act against her while she was hospitalized. The court ruled that she sued too late, rejecting her argument that her case arose out of patient care, which allows for more time to sue.

Highlighted case

Dr. Charles S. DeHaan

DeHaan was charged in 2014 with sexually assaulting a bedridden patient for years, and prosecutors say he assaulted more than a dozen other elderly or disabled patients of his home-visit business.

According to a news report, one woman he was treating for anxiety disorder cried during his assaults and pleaded for him to stop, but he told her that no one would believe her because he was a reputable doctor and she had psychiatric issues.

Another patient alleges in a lawsuit that DeHaan manipulated her by threatening to withhold her prescription medicines and have her Social Security revoked.

Complaints and police reports were made as early as 2009, but the state regulatory board didn’t act until January 2014, temporarily suspending his license.

In 2015, more criminal charges were filed involving criminal sexual abuse of patients. DeHaan pleaded guilty in March to federal charges of health care fraud. The sexual assault case is still pending.

Efforts to reach DeHaan for comment have been unsuccessful.

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