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* You’d think they’d have better things to do. Here’s Mark Maxwell…
State investigators who grant and revoke medical licenses have opened an investigation into a sports doctor at Carle Hospital because of his personal stance opposing a mask mandate in schools, according to emails he says he received from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).
Dr. Jeremy Henrichs, a team physician for the University of Illinois’ Athletic Department, is also an elected member of the Mahomet-Seymour school board. Despite his opposition to mandatory mask rules in classrooms, the school district will still enforce the Governor’s new statewide school mask mandate and require all students to wear masks in class, according to documents posted on its website.
IDFPR regulates medical professionals, architects, cosmetologists, and a number of other industries in which workers are required to obtain a license to practice in Illinois. The Pritzker administration said the investigation was merely a matter of “due diligence” after someone filed a complaint, and offered assurances that the outcome of the investigation would not lead to the doctor losing his license.
“The Pritzker administration has not and will not seek disciplinary action against the professional licenses of individuals who disagree with the mask mandate,” Governor Pritzker’s spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said. […]
While Pritzker’s office said state investigators at IDFPR are required to open investigations whenever they receive a complaint about a medical professional, they did not explain why those investigations might also seek to gather information about a doctor’s personal views for their votes as public officials.
* Check out this ridiculous demand and subsequent explanation from a state medical investigator…
Like it says in the story, the Mahomet-Seymour school board didn’t even vote to follow the mask mandate. The district is doing the responsible thing and accepting the governor’s mandate.
The Pritzker administration has been pretty good so far at avoiding creating any martyrs. Until now, that is. Whoever is responsible for this, including anyone who signed off on that ridiculous demand, needs to be disciplined to the fullest extent possible.
Dr. Henrichs is owed an official apology.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Sen. Chapin Rose has filed a formal complaint with Illinois’ Executive Inspector General. Click here. Among other things, he alleges possible violations of two criminal statutes…
Threatening Public Officials. 720 ILCS 5/12-9: “(a) A person commits threatening a public official or human service provider when: (1) that person knowingly delivers or conveys, directly or indirectly, to a public official or human service provider by any means a communication: … (ii) containing a threat that would place the public official or human service provider or a member of his or her immediate family in reasonable apprehension that damage will occur to property in the custody, care, or control of the public official or his or her immediate family; ….”
Intimidation. 720 ILCS 5/12-6): (a) A person commits intimidation when, with intent to cause another to perform or to omit the performance of any act, he or she communicates to another, directly or indirectly by any means, a threat to perform without lawful authority any of the following acts … (6) [t]ake action as a public official against anyone or anything, or withhold official action, or cause such action or withholding … .”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Text from Sen. Rose…
Fact: in the only vote that was taken on the matter (which was prior to the gov’s edict), Dr Henrichs actually voted to exceed the then current CDC guidelines (which did not require masking, only “recommended”) by requiring masks when community spread was required. Indeed, under the guidelines that Dr. Henrichs actually voted for, Mahomet schools would be masked today anyway. There has been no vote to date on the governor’s mandate- and according to the supt., there will not be, because their board attorney advised them they don’t have the authority to supersede the governor. It is important that people not label Dr. Henrichs as “anti-mask.” That simply isn’t true based on the only vote that exists on the record. But yet, he is still being persecuted by the Pritzker Administration anyway. This is simple: the Governor needs to back off, apologize, make sure that this is not happening to anyone else, and let everyone move on. He has had 6 days now to do that and he hasn’t. At what point do you conclude that in the absence of action to stop this, it is actually willing consent? Silent complicity speaks volumes.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 8:58 am
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While it’s true that they have to open an investigation once a complaint is filed, it looks like a medical investigator was either high on power or was just going through the motions of responding to the allegations in the initial complaint…although this investigator is probably union and immune from punishment, I would be surprised if this wasn’t flagged for a supervisor for review.
Comment by NIU Grad Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:09 am
Rich it appears WCIA has taken down the image.
Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:16 am
=== … questioned whether the agency had legal grounds to open an investigation in this case, … .===
IF his attorney suspects the original complaint was bogus, or that it was ginned up by IDFPR staff, file a complaint with OEIG. And … does IDFPR’s act permit anonymous complaints?
Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:18 am
How many times has this been done before as a means of pay back with previous admins… Someone gets hammered by “anonymous” complaints that are totally without merit, but meant to convey a message….. Wonder if that “complaint” party will ever see the light of day or just fade into the woodwork..
Comment by Silent Majority Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:20 am
I’m all for vax and mask mandates but this complaint and investigation is a total crock. The man is entitled to his opinion, even if it is wrong.
Comment by Manchester Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:23 am
What nonsense. You can disagree with a policy, yet still enforce it, and it’s enforcement that’s key.
And I am appalled that the IDFPR says they cannot give him a copy of the complaint. If that’s the rule, it needs to be changed. How is he expected to respond if he doesn’t know the substance of the complaint? A “brief synopsis” isn’t good enough.
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:23 am
Wow. I cannot tell you how many times in my career I did not agree with University policy but enforced it anyway. But I do wonder what Dr. Henrich says to his patients about the vaccine. If his professional stance supports vaccination, I could care less about his private feelings about it. It seems to me that he either used poor judgment in making his personal beliefs public, or maybe he did need a reminder to be professional, even at school board meetings. However, unless they are investigating every doctor who expresses reservation about vaccination, this was absolute overstep. “Detailed explanation”? At most it should have been a direct yes/no question - “Do you support the mask mandate?” “Yes.” “Good.”
Comment by RIJ Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:24 am
“IDFPR grossly oversteps its boundaries”
Exactly. He is not exercising his professional duties as a doctor as a member of the school board.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:24 am
This is harassment plain and simple. And the Guvs office should initiate a full investigation instead of knee jerk statements that are dismissive.
Comment by ChiSox Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:25 am
JB can publicly distance himself from this all he wants but the fact remains - his administrative agency seems to be pursuing action based on personal opinion - rather than his professional actions. Very disturbing.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:28 am
Barney Fife needs to have his pen and clipboard taken away and be put in his place by Supervisor Andy.
Comment by Sayitaintso Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:37 am
The fullest extent of discipline here.
The fullest.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:38 am
“The man is entitled to his opinion, even if it is wrong.”
Do they grant people MD’s for opinion having? Because I thought doctors were required to be able to pass a baseline requirement indicating scientific comprehension that this guy is publicly demonstrating an inability to meet.
Let’s say I’m a lawyer, and I go out in public and start lying to people about all the illegal things you can legally do “in my opinion.” I’d hope the IARDC would be all over me about it, up to and including revoking my license.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:42 am
As to the question above…what’s being done to Tom DeVore, an Illinois licensed Attorney at Law?
Comment by Basic Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:47 am
I wonder if Dr. Henrichs uses a mask while in surgery.
Overkill or not, his opinion is what got him in trouble.
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:55 am
Seems that there might be more than a few nurses that could be investigated for not getting vaccinated and expressing doubts about the vaccines
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:00 am
There’s nothing more frustrating than having a doctor or lawyer talking about things outside their specialty. This being said, if Dan Stock can go about spreading nonsense at a Mt. Vernon school board meeting, so can Jeremy Henrichs.
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:03 am
“…file a complaint with OEIG.” I was thinking the EEC might get involved. If they find the investigator overstepped, then there will be punishment regardless if the person is covered by union representation.
Comment by From DaZoo Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:19 am
Dr. Henrichs’ opinion is wrong, but anyone with a shred of common decency could see that this complaint is just retaliation for him expressing his opinion. It is not worthy of an investigation.
Sen. Rose should calm down though. It is not Threatening Public Officials or Intimidation.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:25 am
Is it true that you’re not entitled to view a complaint made about you to a regulatory agency? Why the heck not?
That aside this investigator needs to be disciplined to the fullest extent if not terminated. As much as I despise anti-maskers, this is not a valid professional complaint.
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 10:28 am
===Sen. Rose should calm down though. It is not Threatening Public Officials or Intimidation.===
“Pursuant to an official investigation…”
“A detailed statement on your opinion about masks, and enforcement of a mask mandate based on your official position as a school bard member.”
This email is signed by a Medical Investigator with IDFPR whose purpose is to investigate medical complains associated with a medical license. I would say Sen. Rose didn’t go far enough and didn’t figuratively burn the building down. This is beyond chilling. Where is the ACLU? Where is a statement from Sec. Treto. More importantly where is a statement from Gov. Pritzker.
Comment by Nagidam Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 11:13 am
I don’t think there is enough information yet publicly available to form an opinion on the appropriateness of the investigation and the wording without knowing more about the complaint.
A licensed physician is capable of giving medical advice and may need to be careful of what they’re saying or doing that could constitute medical advice. Asking for a statement from the physician might have been a straight forward effort to have the physician make a statement that contradicts what the complaint claims, and then could be used as justification for closing the complaint.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 11:38 am
“Silent complicity speaks volumes.”
A line that almost no Republican should ever use.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 11:58 am
-@ JoanP - Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 9:23 am:
===I am appalled that the IDFPR says they cannot give him a copy of the complaint.===
I am appalled also. He can have a lawyer take it to court and subpoena all the paperwork including the complaint. That would tell them who complained.
Comment by DuPage Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:00 pm
===At what point do you conclude that in the absence of action to stop this, it is actually willing consent? Silent complicity speaks volumes.===
Yikes.
Does Rose really-really want this standard for him?
You’d think he’d say less to mean more… but…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:01 pm
I’m gonna say that almost anything he does as “a school board member” would seem out of license scope.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:12 pm
By the standard Gov. Pritzker’s IDFPR has just set with Dr. Hinrichs will we see the Illinois Labor Relations Board investigate AFSCME Loretta Lynch for her formal opinion against vaccine mandates for union workers?
Comment by Nagidam Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:14 pm
Sheesh…Roberta Lynch not Lorretta Lynch. Apologies.
Comment by Nagidam Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:15 pm
==AFSCME Loretta Lynch==
I think you meant Roberta Lynch. Loretta Lynch was one of Obama’s Attorney Generals.
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:18 pm
=== The Pritzker administration has been pretty good so far at avoiding creating any martyrs. Until now, ===
What happens in Champaign County, stays in Champaign County.
And if you want a martyr, you need someone who suffered actual injuries and is a bit more sympathetic than a college sports doctor.
Sounds like the complaint system needs some work though. Complaints that don’t allege an actual license violation should be closed administratively.
Comment by Jack Reacher Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:29 pm
Oh you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not lout I’m telling you why
The mask police are coming to town
They’re making a list, checking it twice
Don’t wear your mask, you’ll pay a high price
The mask police are coming to town
They see you at board meetings
They want to seal your fate
They’ll know if you don’t wear a mask
So you’d best capitulate
Oh you better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I’m telling you why
Mask police are coming to town
Comment by Captain Obvious Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 12:35 pm
The complaint is confidential.
225 ILCS 60/36 (e)
Comment by Con Fidential Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 4:05 pm
Please show us where the Medical Board requested this information. Email? Hand Witten note? Open Minutes? Closed Minutes? Is this a ruse or just a witch hunt. Anyone?
Comment by Boarding School Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 4:16 pm
Oh. Chapin.
=This is simple: the Governor needs to back off, apologize, make sure that this is not happening to anyone else, and let everyone move on.=.
Senator Rose, have you ever apologized when you have tried to intimidate state employees? Please remember your own words and “back off” when you get into heated conversations with state employees. The aggressive style is unbecoming.
Comment by The Eastern Block Strikes Again Thursday, Aug 19, 21 @ 8:03 pm