Sec. 20-12c. Physician assistant to have supervising physician. Exceptions.

(a) Each physician assistant practicing in this state or participating in a resident physician assistant program shall have a clearly identified supervising physician who maintains the final responsibility for the care of patients and the performance of the physician assistant.

(b) A physician may function as a supervising physician for as many physician assistants as is medically appropriate under the circumstances, provided the supervision is active and direct.

(c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the employment of physician assistants in a hospital or other health care facility where such physician assistants function under the direction of a supervising physician.

(d) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a licensed physician assistant who is (1) part of the Connecticut Disaster Medical Assistance Team or the Medical Reserve Corps, under the auspices of the Department of Public Health, or the Connecticut Urban Search and Rescue Team, under the auspices of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and is engaged in officially authorized civil preparedness duty or civil preparedness training conducted by such team or corps, or (2) licensed in another state as a physician assistant or its equivalent and is an active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard, from providing patient services under the supervision, control, responsibility and direction of a licensed physician.

(P.A. 90-211, S. 5, 23; P.A. 94-210, S. 22, 30; P.A. 95-74, S. 4, 9; 95-271, S. 3, 40; P.A. 96-12, S. 2; P.A. 97-213, S. 12; P.A. 99-102, S. 8; P.A. 05-259, S. 2; P.A. 06-110, S. 2; P.A. 07-119, S. 4; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; P.A. 13-208, S. 11; P.A. 18-168, S. 79.)

History: P.A. 94-210 amended Subsec. (a) to add reference to chapter 371, effective June 9, 1994; P.A. 95-74 and P.A. 95-271 amended Subsec. (a) to add physician assistants in a resident physician program to those needing a supervising physician and to prohibit the department from registering applicants against whom a disciplinary action or unresolved complaint is pending, effective July 1, 1995, and July 6, 1995, respectively; P.A. 95-271 also added references to resident physician assistant programs and to osteopathic physicians, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-12 amended Subsec. (b) to allow part-time equivalent supervision; P.A. 97-213 amended Subsec. (b) re supervision requirements; P.A. 99-102 deleted obsolete references to osteopathy, osteopathic physicians and osteopathic physician assistants and made technical changes; P.A. 05-259 added Subsec. (e) allowing physician assistant to work under the supervision of a physician not registered as a supervising physician while engaged in civil preparedness duty or training if the physician assistant is part of the Connecticut Disaster Medical Assistance Team, Medical Reserve Corps, or Connecticut Urban Search and Rescue Team, effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 06-110 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by deleting requirement that supervising physician be at specific location where the physician assistant is practicing; P.A. 07-119 amended Subsec. (a) by removing provisions re registration of supervising physician, deleted former Subsec. (d) re written notification to department of the termination of physician-physician assistant supervisory relationship, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (d) and amended same by removing provisions re registration of supervising physician and making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2007; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-208 amended Subsec. (d) by designating provision re exception for civil preparedness duty or training as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re active member of Connecticut Army or Air National Guard; P.A. 18-168 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting Subdiv. (2) re number of physician assistants supervised, and deleting Subdiv. (1) designator, effective July 1, 2018.