(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)

 

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

 

March 19, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

 

SUMMARY—Makes various changes relating to practice of podiatry. (BDR 54‑38)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                             Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to podiatry; authorizing a podiatric physician who is licensed by the state board of podiatry to amputate toes if he is certified by the board to do so; requiring the board to adopt regulations that prescribe the requirements for that certification; 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:

 

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

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

1-3  physician licensed by the board may:

1-4    (a) Administer electricity to the foot or leg by means including

1-5  electrodes, machinery and rays.

1-6    (b) Use his hands and machinery to work upon the foot or leg and its

1-7  articulations.

1-8    (c) Apply any mechanical appliance to the foot or leg or in the shoe to

1-9  treat any disease, deformity or ailment.

1-10    (d) Apply pads, adhesives, felt, plasters and any medicine to the foot

1-11  and leg.

1-12    (e) Prescribe and dispense controlled substances and dangerous drugs.

1-13    (f) Construct models of the feet.

1-14    (g) Administer a local anesthetic.

1-15    (h) Use any cutting instrument to treat a disease, ailment or condition.

1-16    (i) Treat the effects of a systemic disease upon the foot or leg.

1-17  (j) Amputate a toe if he:

1-18      (1) Is certified by the board to perform the amputation;

2-1       (2) Performs the amputation in a hospital as defined in NRS

2-2  449.012 or a surgical center for ambulatory patients as defined in NRS

2-3  449.019; and

2-4       (3) Performs the amputation in accordance with the standard of

2-5  care required for a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 630, 630A or

2-6  633 of NRS.

2-7    2.  A podiatric physician shall not:

2-8    (a) Treat any other effect of a systemic disease unless the disease

2-9  originates in the foot or leg.

2-10    (b) Amputate a leg[, foot or toe.] or foot.

2-11    3.  The board shall adopt regulations that prescribe the requirements

2-12  for the certification of a podiatric physician to amputate toes.

2-13  Sec. 2.  NRS 450.006 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-14  450.006  “Allied health profession” means:

2-15  1.  Psychology as defined in chapter 641 of NRS; or

2-16  2.  [Podiatry as defined in chapter 635 of NRS; or

2-17  3.] Oriental medicine or acupuncture as defined in chapter 634A of

2-18  NRS.

2-19    Sec. 3. NRS 450.430 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-20    450.430  1.  In the management of the public hospital, no

2-21  discrimination may be made against physicians , podiatric physicians or

2-22  dentists licensed under the laws of [Nevada or duly] this state or licensed

2-23  practitioners of the allied health professions, and all such physicians,

2-24  dentists , podiatric physicians and practitioners have privileges in treating

2-25  patients in the hospital in accordance with their training and ability, except

2-26  that practitioners of the allied health professions may not be members of

2-27  the staff of physicians described in NRS 450.440. Practitioners of the allied

2-28  health professions are subject to the bylaws and regulations established by

2-29  the board of hospital trustees.

2-30    2.  The patient has the right to employ, at his own expense, his own

2-31  physician, if [such] that physician is a member of the hospital staff, or his

2-32  own nurse, and when acting for any patient in [such] the hospital , the

2-33  physician employed by [such] the patient has charge of the care and

2-34  treatment of the patient , [;] and the nurses [therein are as to such patient

2-35  subject to] in the hospital shall comply with the directions of [such

2-36  physician, subject always to the general] the physician concerning that

2-37  patient, subject to the regulations established by the board of hospital

2-38  trustees.

2-39    Sec. 4.  NRS 450.440 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-40    450.440  1.  The board of hospital trustees shall organize a staff of

2-41  physicians composed of [every] each regular practicing physician ,

2-42  podiatric physician and dentist in the county in which the hospital is

2-43  located who requests staff membership and meets the standards [fixed by]

2-44  set forth in the regulations [laid down] prescribed by the board of hospital

2-45  trustees.

2-46    2.  The staff shall organize in a manner prescribed by the board so that

2-47  there is a rotation of service among the members of the staff to give proper

2-48  medical and surgical attention and service to the indigent sick, injured or

2-49  maimed who may be admitted to the hospital for treatment.

3-1    3.  No member of the staff [nor] or any other physician who attends an

3-2  indigent patient may receive any compensation for his services except as

3-3  otherwise provided in NRS 450.180 or to the extent that the medical care is

3-4  paid for by any governmental authority or any private medical care

3-5  program.

3-6    4.  The board of hospital trustees or the board of county commissioners

3-7  may offer the following assistance to members of the staff [in order] to

3-8  attract and retain them:

3-9    (a) Establishment of clinic or group practice;

3-10    (b) Malpractice insurance coverage under the hospital’s policy of

3-11  professional liability insurance;

3-12    (c) Professional fee billing; and

3-13    (d) The opportunity to rent office space in facilities owned or operated

3-14  by the hospital, as the space is available, if this opportunity is offered to all

3-15  members of the staff on the same terms and conditions.

 

3-16  H