Cybularz v. Quern

422 N.E.2d 123, 96 Ill. App. 3d 845, 52 Ill. Dec. 442, 1981 Ill. App. LEXIS 2706
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 26, 1981
DocketNo. 79-1870
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 422 N.E.2d 123 (Cybularz v. Quern) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cybularz v. Quern, 422 N.E.2d 123, 96 Ill. App. 3d 845, 52 Ill. Dec. 442, 1981 Ill. App. LEXIS 2706 (Ill. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinion

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE CAMPBELL

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, Constance Cybularz, is a vendor of chiropractic services to recipients under the Medical Assistance Program (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 23, par. 5 — 1 et seq.). After an administrative proceeding, the Director of the Department of Public Aid (hereinafter Department) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 23, pars. 1 — 1,12—13) found that the plaintiff, who was licensed as a chiropractor, had committed certain violations of the Medical Assistance Program by having represented herself to the public as a medical doctor on telephone records and telephone directories in contravention of sections 24 and 32 of the Medical Practice Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 111, pars. 4459, 4467), and the Rules of the Department, and terminated plaintiff’s privileges as a vendor of services pursuant to section 12 — 4.25(A) (h) (Ill. Rev. Stat, 1978 Supp, ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A) (h)(1)) and section 4.51(i)(1) of the Rules of the Department. A complaint for administrative review was filed, and the court affirmed the findings and decision of the Director on August 30, 1979. This appeal followed.

On appeal, plaintiff has presented the following issues for review:

(1) Whether the court erred in affirming the decision of the Director of the Department of Public Aid to terminate the plaintiff as a vendor based on the evidence and the law;

(2) Whether the court committed error in finding that the Director of the Department of Public Aid met the burden of proof to sustain the findings of fact and conclusion;

(3) Whether the court erred in finding that the decision of the Director of the Department of Public Aid, based on the administrative record, is not against the manifest weight of the evidence;

(4) Whether the court erred in finding that the exhibits were properly admitted into evidence;

(5) Whether the court erred in finding that the failure of the Director of the Department of Public Aid to produce discovery documents upon request was not a violation of the plaintiff’s right to a fair hearing;

(6) Whether the court erred in finding that the plaintiff had no standing to challenge the validity of section 12 — 4.25(A) (h)(1) (Ill. Rev. Stat, 1978 Supp, ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A)(h)(1)); and

(7) Whether the court committed error when it found that section 12 — 4.25(A)(h)(1) (Ill. Rev. Stat, 1978Supp, ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A)(h)(1)) was not an enactment in violation of the Federal and State constitutions.

Plaintiff had been charged in the statement of grounds as follows:

“1. That Dr. Constance Cybularz, D.C, Aurora Medical Center, 51 S. Broadway, Aurora, Illinois, is a Vendor participating in the Illinois Medical Assistance Program.
2. That Dr. Constance Cybularz D.C. has misrepresented herself as a medical doctor in that she has listed her name as an M.D. in both the Far West suburbs and in the Northwest suburbs telephone directories.
* * *
4. That the facts, as stated above establish that Dr. Cybularz has violated Illinois law, to wit, Chapter III sections 4459 and 4467 Illinois Revised Statute.
5. That pursuant to Ch. 23 par. 12 — 4.25(A) (c) of the Illinois Revised Statutes, and in accordance with Section 4.51 (i) of the Rules for Department Actions Against Medical Vendors the Department may terminate a Vendor’s eligibility to participate in the Medical Assistance Program if it is determined that such Vendor has engaged in practices prohibited by applicable Federal or State law or regulation.”1

On February 28, 1979, defendant found the evidence supported a finding that plaintiff had engaged in conduct amounting to a violation of sections 24 and 32 of the Medical Practice Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 111, pars. 4459, 4467), and thus defendant terminated plaintiff pursuant to section 12 — 4.25(A) (h)(1) (Ill. Rev. Stat., 1978 Supp., ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A)(h)(1)) and section 4.51(i)(l) of the Rules for Department Action Against Medical Vendors.

Plaintiff first contends that the court committed error when it affirmed the Director’s decision to terminate the plaintiff as a participating vendor. The statement of grounds stated that the reason for bringing the administrative proceeding was that the plaintiff had violated ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A) (c) of Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979. The Director’s decision to terminate was based on a determination that the plaintiff had violated section 12-4.25(A) (h)(1) (Ill. Rev. Stat, 1978 Supp., ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A) (h)(1)).

Plaintiff maintains that the evidence did not support a termination of plaintiff under section 12 — 4.25(A) (c) (111. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A) (c)), the section set forth as one of the grounds in the statement of grounds. Defendant argues that the administrative decision should not be reversed on the basis of a mere typographical error in that defendant inadvertently typed 111. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A) (c) as the basis for termination when the wording of paragraph 5 of the statement of grounds revealed that the Department meant section 12 — 4.25(A) (h)(1) (111. Rev. Stat., 1978 Supp., ch. 23, par. 12 — 4.25(A)(h)(l)).

Defendant has cited People v. Greenwood (1969), 115 Ill. App. 2d 167, 173, 253 N.E.2d 72, wherein the court stated:

“Failure to cite the statute or the correct provision thereof is error but, in view of the description of the offense given in the complaint, is not an error which, in itself, vitiates the complaint.”

Defendant claims, and we agree, that plaintiff has not suffered any prejudice as a result of the error in the statement of grounds and it appears that plaintiff knew the statutory and administrative grounds upon which the Department exercised its authority to terminate plaintiff for violating sections 24 and 32 of the Medical Practice Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. Ill, pars. 4459 and 4467). The charges were sufficiently drawm to apprise defendant of the case against her so that she could intelligently prepare her defense. Irving’s Pharmacy v. Department of Registration & Education (1979), 75 Ill. App. 3d 652, 394 N.E.2d 627.

Plaintiff next contends that the Department committed error when the hearing officer admitted into evidence Department’s exhibits Nos. 1 to 10 as business records of Illinois Bell Telephone Company relating to the Aurora Medical Center. The challenged exhibits Nos. 1 to 5 were objected to as hearsay evidence and said exhibits were not the best evidence available. The hearing officer allowed photocopies of other documents and excused the presentation of the microfiche records because bringing in the magnetic tapes without special equipment would be cumbersome. A witness for Illinois Bell testified that exhibits Nos.

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Related

Boffa v. Department of Public Aid
522 N.E.2d 644 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1988)
Smith v. Department of Public Aid
502 N.E.2d 42 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1986)
Meyers v. Illinois Department of Public Aid
448 N.E.2d 1176 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1983)

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Bluebook (online)
422 N.E.2d 123, 96 Ill. App. 3d 845, 52 Ill. Dec. 442, 1981 Ill. App. LEXIS 2706, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cybularz-v-quern-illappct-1981.