Public Act 0192 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1052 Enrolled LRB098 05035 MGM 35066 b

Public Act 098-0192

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Medical Practice Act of 1987 is amended by changing Section 54.5 as follows:

(225 ILCS 60/54.5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2013)

Sec. 54.5. Physician delegation of authority to physician assistants and advanced practice nurses.

(a) Physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches may delegate care and treatment responsibilities to a physician assistant under guidelines in accordance with the requirements of the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. A physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches may enter into supervising physician agreements with no more than 5 physician assistants as set forth in subsection (a) of Section 7 of the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987.

(b) A physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in active clinical practice may collaborate with an advanced practice nurse in accordance with the requirements of the Nurse Practice Act. Collaboration is for the purpose of providing medical consultation, and no employment relationship is required. A written collaborative agreement shall conform to the requirements of Section 65-35 of the Nurse Practice Act. The written collaborative agreement shall be for services the collaborating physician generally provides or may provide in to his or her patients in the normal course of clinical medical practice. A written collaborative agreement shall be adequate with respect to collaboration with advanced practice nurses if all of the following apply:

(1) The agreement is written to promote the exercise of professional judgment by the advanced practice nurse commensurate with his or her education and experience. The agreement need not describe the exact steps that an advanced practice nurse must take with respect to each specific condition, disease, or symptom, but must specify those procedures that require a physician's presence as the procedures are being performed.

(2) Practice guidelines and orders are developed and approved jointly by the advanced practice nurse and collaborating physician, as needed, based on the practice of the practitioners. Such guidelines and orders and the patient services provided thereunder are periodically reviewed by the collaborating physician.

(3) The advance practice nurse provides services the collaborating physician generally provides or may provide in to his or her patients in the normal course of clinical medical practice, except as set forth in subsection (b-5) of this Section. With respect to labor and delivery, the collaborating physician must provide delivery services in order to participate with a certified nurse midwife.

(4) The collaborating physician and advanced practice nurse consult at least once a month to provide collaboration and consultation.

(5) Methods of communication are available with the collaborating physician in person or through telecommunications for consultation, collaboration, and referral as needed to address patient care needs.

(6) The agreement contains provisions detailing notice for termination or change of status involving a written collaborative agreement, except when such notice is given for just cause.

(b-5) An anesthesiologist or physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches may collaborate with a certified registered nurse anesthetist in accordance with Section 65-35 of the Nurse Practice Act for the provision of anesthesia services. With respect to the provision of anesthesia services, the collaborating anesthesiologist or physician shall have training and experience in the delivery of anesthesia services consistent with Department rules. Collaboration shall be adequate if:

(1) an anesthesiologist or a physician participates in the joint formulation and joint approval of orders or guidelines and periodically reviews such orders and the services provided patients under such orders; and

(2) for anesthesia services, the anesthesiologist or physician participates through discussion of and agreement with the anesthesia plan and is physically present and available on the premises during the delivery of anesthesia services for diagnosis, consultation, and treatment of emergency medical conditions. Anesthesia services in a hospital shall be conducted in accordance with Section 10.7 of the Hospital Licensing Act and in an ambulatory surgical treatment center in accordance with Section 6.5 of the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act.

(b-10) The anesthesiologist or operating physician must agree with the anesthesia plan prior to the delivery of services.

(c) The supervising physician shall have access to the medical records of all patients attended by a physician assistant. The collaborating physician shall have access to the medical records of all patients attended to by an advanced practice nurse.

(d) (Blank).

(e) A physician shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of a physician assistant or advanced practice nurse solely on the basis of having signed a supervision agreement or guidelines or a collaborative agreement, an order, a standing medical order, a standing delegation order, or other order or guideline authorizing a physician assistant or advanced practice nurse to perform acts, unless the physician has reason to believe the physician assistant or advanced practice nurse lacked the competency to perform the act or acts or commits willful and wanton misconduct.

(f) A collaborating physician may, but is not required to, delegate prescriptive authority to an advanced practice nurse as part of a written collaborative agreement, and the delegation of prescriptive authority shall conform to the requirements of Section 65-40 of the Nurse Practice Act.

(g) A supervising physician may, but is not required to, delegate prescriptive authority to a physician assistant as part of a written supervision agreement, and the delegation of prescriptive authority shall conform to the requirements of Section 7.5 of the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987.

(h) For the purposes of this Section, "generally provides or may provide in his or her clinical medical practice" means categories of care or treatment, not specific tasks or duties, that the physician provides individually or through delegation to other persons so that the physician has the experience and ability to provide collaboration and consultation. This definition shall not be construed to prohibit an advanced practice nurse from providing primary health treatment or care within the scope of his or her training and experience, including, but not limited to, health screenings, patient histories, physical examinations, women's health examinations, or school physicals that may be provided as part of the routine practice of an advanced practice nurse or on a volunteer basis.

(Source: P.A. 96-618, eff. 1-1-10; 97-358, eff. 8-12-11; 97-1071, eff. 8-24-12.)

Section 10. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing Section 65-35 as follows:

(225 ILCS 65/65-35) (was 225 ILCS 65/15-15)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2018)

Sec. 65-35. Written collaborative agreements.

(a) A written collaborative agreement is required for all advanced practice nurses engaged in clinical practice, except for advanced practice nurses who are authorized to practice in a hospital or ambulatory surgical treatment center.

(a-5) If an advanced practice nurse engages in clinical practice outside of a hospital or ambulatory surgical treatment center in which he or she is authorized to practice, the advanced practice nurse must have a written collaborative agreement.

(b) A written collaborative agreement shall describe the working relationship of the advanced practice nurse with the collaborating physician or podiatrist and shall authorize the categories of care, treatment, or procedures to be performed by the advanced practice nurse. A collaborative agreement with a dentist must be in accordance with subsection (c-10) of this Section. Collaboration does not require an employment relationship between the collaborating physician and advanced practice nurse. Absent an employment relationship, an agreement may not restrict the categories of patients or third-party payment sources accepted by the advanced practice nurse. Collaboration means the relationship under which an advanced practice nurse works with a collaborating physician or podiatrist in an active clinical practice to deliver health care services in accordance with (i) the advanced practice nurse's training, education, and experience and (ii) collaboration and consultation as documented in a jointly developed written collaborative agreement.

The agreement shall promote the exercise of professional judgment by the advanced practice nurse commensurate with his or her education and experience. The services to be provided by the advanced practice nurse shall be services that the collaborating physician or podiatrist is authorized to and generally provides or may provide to his or her patients in the normal course of his or her clinical medical or podiatric practice, except as set forth in subsections (b-5) or subsection (c-5) of this Section. The agreement need not describe the exact steps that an advanced practice nurse must take with respect to each specific condition, disease, or symptom but must specify which authorized procedures require the presence of the collaborating physician or podiatrist as the procedures are being performed. The collaborative relationship under an agreement shall not be construed to require the personal presence of a physician or podiatrist at the place where services are rendered. Methods of communication shall be available for consultation with the collaborating physician or podiatrist in person or by telecommunications in accordance with established written guidelines as set forth in the written agreement.

(b-5) Absent an employment relationship, a written collaborative agreement may not (1) restrict the categories of patients of an advanced practice nurse within the scope of the advanced practice nurses training and experience, (2) limit third party payors or government health programs, such as the medical assistance program or Medicare with which the advanced practice nurse contracts, or (3) limit the geographic area or practice location of the advanced practice nurse in this State.

(c) Collaboration and consultation under all collaboration agreements shall be adequate if a collaborating physician or podiatrist does each of the following:

(1) Participates in the joint formulation and joint approval of orders or guidelines with the advanced practice nurse and he or she periodically reviews such orders and the services provided patients under such orders in accordance with accepted standards of medical practice or podiatric practice and advanced practice nursing practice.

(2) Provides collaboration and consultation with the advanced practice nurse at least once a month. In the case of anesthesia services provided by a certified registered nurse anesthetist, an anesthesiologist, physician, dentist, or podiatrist must participate through discussion of and agreement with the anesthesia plan and remain physically present and available on the premises during the delivery of anesthesia services for diagnosis, consultation, and treatment of emergency medical conditions.

(3) Is available through telecommunications for consultation on medical problems, complications, or emergencies or patient referral. In the case of anesthesia services provided by a certified registered nurse anesthetist, an anesthesiologist, physician, dentist, or podiatrist must participate through discussion of and agreement with the anesthesia plan and remain physically present and available on the premises during the delivery of anesthesia services for diagnosis, consultation, and treatment of emergency medical conditions.

The agreement must contain provisions detailing notice for termination or change of status involving a written collaborative agreement, except when such notice is given for just cause.

(c-5) A certified registered nurse anesthetist, who provides anesthesia services outside of a hospital or ambulatory surgical treatment center shall enter into a written collaborative agreement with an anesthesiologist or the physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or the podiatrist performing the procedure. Outside of a hospital or ambulatory surgical treatment center, the certified registered nurse anesthetist may provide only those services that the collaborating podiatrist is authorized to provide pursuant to the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987 and rules adopted thereunder. A certified registered nurse anesthetist may select, order, and administer medication, including controlled substances, and apply appropriate medical devices for delivery of anesthesia services under the anesthesia plan agreed with by the anesthesiologist or the operating physician or operating podiatrist.

(c-10) A certified registered nurse anesthetist who provides anesthesia services in a dental office shall enter into a written collaborative agreement with an anesthesiologist or the physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches or the operating dentist performing the procedure. The agreement shall describe the working relationship of the certified registered nurse anesthetist and dentist and shall authorize the categories of care, treatment, or procedures to be performed by the certified registered nurse anesthetist. In a collaborating dentist's office, the certified registered nurse anesthetist may only provide those services that the operating dentist with the appropriate permit is authorized to provide pursuant to the Illinois Dental Practice Act and rules adopted thereunder. For anesthesia services, an anesthesiologist, physician, or operating dentist shall participate through discussion of and agreement with the anesthesia plan and shall remain physically present and be available on the premises during the delivery of anesthesia services for diagnosis, consultation, and treatment of emergency medical conditions. A certified registered nurse anesthetist may select, order, and administer medication, including controlled substances, and apply appropriate medical devices for delivery of anesthesia services under the anesthesia plan agreed with by the operating dentist.

(d) A copy of the signed, written collaborative agreement must be available to the Department upon request from both the advanced practice nurse and the collaborating physician or podiatrist.

(e) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the delegation of tasks or duties by a physician to a licensed practical nurse, a registered professional nurse, or other persons in accordance with Section 54.2 of the Medical Practice Act of 1987. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the method of delegation that may be authorized by any means, including, but not limited to, oral, written, electronic, standing orders, protocols, guidelines, or verbal orders.

(f) An advanced practice nurse shall inform each collaborating physician, dentist, or podiatrist of all collaborative agreements he or she has signed and provide a copy of these to any collaborating physician, dentist, or podiatrist upon request.

(g) For the purposes of this Act, "generally provides or may provide in to his or her patients in the normal course of his or her clinical medical practice" means categories of care or treatment services, not specific tasks or duties, the physician or podiatrist routinely provides individually or through delegation to other persons so that the physician or podiatrist has the experience and ability to provide collaboration and consultation. This definition shall not be construed to prohibit an advanced practice nurse from providing primary health treatment or care within the scope of his or her training and experience, including, but not limited to, health screenings, patient histories, physical examinations, women's health examinations, or school physicals that may be provided as part of the routine practice of an advanced practice nurse or on a volunteer basis.

For the purposes of this Act, "generally provides to his or her patients in the normal course of his or her clinical podiatric practice" means services, not specific tasks or duties, that the podiatrist routinely provides individually or through delegation to other persons so that the podiatrist has the experience and ability to provide collaboration and consultation.

(Source: P.A. 96-618, eff. 1-1-10; 97-358, eff. 8-12-11.)