§ 14. Actions against persons rendering professional services at the request of the department; defense and indemnification. The provisions of section seventeen of the public officers law shall apply to any physician, dentist, nurse or other health care professional who: (i) is licensed to practice pursuant to article one hundred thirty-one, one hundred thirty-one-B, one hundred thirty-three, one hundred thirty-six, one hundred thirty-seven, one hundred thirty-nine, one hundred forty-three, one hundred fifty-six, one hundred fifty-seven, one hundred fifty-nine or one hundred sixty-four of the education law and who is rendering professional treatment or consultation in connection with professional treatment authorized under such license at the request of the department, or at a departmental facility, including clinical practice provided pursuant to a clinical practice plan established pursuant to subdivision fourteen of section two hundred six of this chapter, to patients receiving care or professional consultation from the department while rendering such professional treatment or consultation; (ii) is rendering consultation in connection with an audit or prepayment review of claims or treatment requests under the medical assistance program; or (iii) assists the department as consultants or expert witnesses in the investigation or prosecution of alleged violations of article twenty-eight, thirty-six, forty-four or forty-seven of this chapter or rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto.