RELAXED OVERSIGHT RULES PAVE THE WAY FOR MORE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT CLINICS STATEWIDE
Q: What are details of the new rules for physician assistants?
A: These new rules are going to bring physician assistant practices into the digital age of electronic media. Last November, the Physician Assistant Act was amended, taking away the long-standing requirement that a supervising physician must be physically on site with the physician assistant supervising him or her at least a half-day a week. Now, as long as the physician and physician assistant easily can contact each other through any means of telecommunication (i.e., telephone, internet, Skype, FaceTime, etc.) the physician is no longer required to travel to the physician assistant’s office for any on-site supervision each week.
Q: What are details of additional new rules effective later this month?
A:
Effective Aug. 26, the Medical Board will take another step further changing Physician Assistant Rules. Under the new rules, a physician will be able to supervise up to four physician assistants at one time instead of two physician assistants as was the rule in previous years. With the high demand for physician assistants in primary care settings, finding supervising physicians not already committed was sometimes difficult. By expanding the rule, this will open the door for more physician assistant owned clinics and more widespread staffing of emergency departments by physician assistants, especially in Oklahoma’s underserved and rural areas. Although these changes have the potential to greatly expand the physician assistant practice throughout the state, keep in mind that physician assistants still are required to have a supervising physician.
Q: What should physician assistants keep in mind when setting up their own practice?
A:
Physician assistants aren’t allowed to employ their supervising physicians under the Medical Board’s laws and rules. This can make it tricky when setting up a physician assistant owned and operated practice. Physician assistants must carefully choose a business entity where they can own and run their business, have a supervising physician to oversee their practice, even if remotely, pay this supervising physician for his or her services, yet not employ the supervising physician. A carefully drafted contract between the physician assistant and the supervising physician will protect both persons and is recommended to negate any appearance that the physician is an employee of the physician assistant.
PAULA BURKES, BUSINESS WRITER