SB 537 - Under current law, physicians must exercise control over a physician assistant working in the same office facility of the supervising physician. The assistant may make follow-up patient examinations in hospitals, nursing homes and correctional facilities. Under the act, the supervising physician must be present 55% of the time a physician assistant is providing patient care and no further than 30 miles from the care facility. The supervising physician must be readily available in person or via telecommunication while the assistant is providing care. The assistant may make follow-up patient examinations in patient homes.
Supervising physicians must be on-site for 10% of the time the physician assistant is working in certain other facilities including: community health centers, federally funded clinics, correctional facilities, dialysis centers, among others. While off-site, the physician must be within 50 miles of these types of areas.
Physician assistants must practice for at least one-month during which time the physician must be continuously present.
Physicians shall not be required to act as supervising physicians.
Physician assistant agreements must be filed with the Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.
The act requires physician assistants to hold a master's degree from a physician assistant program.
This act is similar to HCS/HB 503 (2005), SCS/SB 1032 (2006), and HB 497 (2007).
CHRIS HOGERTY