Senate Bill No. 405–Committee on Human
Resources and Facilities

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to podiatry; authorizing a podiatric physician who is licensed by the state board of podiatry to amputate toes under certain circumstances; prohibiting a county hospital from denying a podiatric physician admission to the staff of the hospital under certain circumstances; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

   Section 1.  NRS 635.085 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   635.085  1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, a podiatric

 physician licensed by the board may:

   (a) Administer electricity to the foot or leg by means including

 electrodes, machinery and rays.

   (b) Use his hands and machinery to work upon the foot or leg and its

 articulations.

   (c) Apply any mechanical appliance to the foot or leg or in the shoe to

 treat any disease, deformity or ailment.

   (d) Apply pads, adhesives, felt, plasters and any medicine to the foot

 and leg.

   (e) Prescribe and dispense controlled substances and dangerous drugs.

   (f) Construct models of the feet.

   (g) Administer a local anesthetic.

   (h) Use any cutting instrument to treat a disease, ailment or condition.

   (i) Treat the effects of a systemic disease upon the foot or leg.

   (j) Amputate a toe if he:

     (1) Performs the amputation in a hospital as defined in NRS

 449.012 or a surgical center for ambulatory patients as defined in NRS

 449.019;

     (2) Is authorized by the hospital or surgical center to perform the

 amputation;

     (3) Has completed a program of surgical training as a resident and

 provides proof satisfactory to the hospital or surgical center of his

 completion of the program;

     (4) Complies with any other requirements established by the

 hospital or surgical center; and

     (5) Performs the amputation in accordance with the standard of

 care required for a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 630, 630A or

 633 of NRS.

   2.  A podiatric physician shall not:

   (a) Treat any other effect of a systemic disease unless the disease

 originates in the foot or leg.

   (b) Amputate a leg[, foot or toe.] or foot.

   Sec. 2.  NRS 450.006 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   450.006  “Allied health profession” means:

   1.  Psychology as defined in chapter 641 of NRS; or

   2.  [Podiatry as defined in chapter 635 of NRS; or

   3.] Oriental medicine or acupuncture as defined in chapter 634A of

 NRS.

   Sec. 3. NRS 450.430 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   450.430  1.  In the management of the public hospital, no

 discrimination may be made against physicians , podiatric physicians or

 dentists licensed under the laws of [Nevada or duly] this state or licensed

 practitioners of the allied health professions, and all such physicians,

 dentists , podiatric physicians and practitioners have privileges in treating

 patients in the hospital in accordance with their training and ability, except

 that practitioners of the allied health professions may not be members of

 the staff of physicians described in NRS 450.440. Practitioners of the

 allied health professions are subject to the bylaws and regulations

 established by the board of hospital trustees.

   2.  The patient has the right to employ, at his own expense, his own

 physician, if [such] that physician is a member of the hospital staff, or his

 own nurse, and when acting for any patient in [such] the hospital , the

 physician employed by [such] the patient has charge of the care and

 treatment of the patient , [;] and the nurses [therein are as to such patient

 subject to] in the hospital shall comply with the directions of [such

 physician, subject always to the general] the physician concerning that

 patient, subject to the regulations established by the board of hospital

 trustees.

   Sec. 4.  NRS 450.440 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   450.440  1.  The board of hospital trustees shall organize a staff of

 physicians composed of [every] each regular practicing physician ,

 podiatric physician and dentist in the county in which the hospital is

 located who requests staff membership and meets the standards [fixed by]

 set forth in the regulations [laid down] prescribed by the board of hospital

 trustees.

   2.  The staff shall organize in a manner prescribed by the board so that

 there is a rotation of service among the members of the staff to give proper

 medical and surgical attention and service to the indigent sick, injured or

 maimed who may be admitted to the hospital for treatment.

   3.  No member of the staff [nor] or any other physician who attends an

 indigent patient may receive any compensation for his services except as

 otherwise provided in NRS 450.180 or to the extent that the medical care

 is paid for by any governmental authority or any private medical care

 program.

   4.  The board of hospital trustees or the board of county commissioners

 may offer the following assistance to members of the staff [in order] to

 attract and retain them:

   (a) Establishment of clinic or group practice;

   (b) Malpractice insurance coverage under the hospital’s policy of

 professional liability insurance;

   (c) Professional fee billing; and

   (d) The opportunity to rent office space in facilities owned or operated

 by the hospital, as the space is available, if this opportunity is offered to all

 members of the staff on the same terms and conditions.

 

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