CHAPTER 170
SENATE BILL No. 220
An Act concerning the Kansas healing arts act;
relating to the supervision and direction of
certain personnel by persons licensed to
practice the healing arts; amending K.S.A. 1997
Supp. 65-2837 and repealing the existing
section.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
New Section 1. (a) Every responsible licensee who
directs, super-
vises, orders, refers, accepts responsibility for, enters into
practice pro-
tocols with, or who delegates acts which constitute the practice of
the
healing arts to other persons shall:
(1) Be actively engaged in the practice of the healing arts in
Kansas;
(2) review and keep current any required practice protocols
between
the responsible licensee and such persons, as may be determined by
the
board;
(3) direct, supervise, order, refer, enter into a practice
protocol with,
or delegate to such persons only those acts and functions which the
re-
sponsible licensee knows or has reason to believe such person is
com-
petent and authorized by law to perform;
(4) direct, supervise, order, refer, enter into a practice
protocol with,
or delegate to other persons only those acts and functions which
are
within the normal and customary specialty, competence and lawful
prac-
tice of the responsible licensee;
(5) provide for a qualified, substitute licensee who accepts
responsi-
bility for the direction, supervision, delegation and practice
protocols with
such persons when the responsible licensee is temporarily
absent.
(b) ``Responsible licensee'' means a person licensed by the
state board
of healing arts to practice medicine and surgery or chiropractic
who has
accepted responsibility for the actions of persons who perform acts
pur-
suant to practice protocols with, or at the order of, or referral,
direction,
supervision or delegation from such responsible licensee.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, K.S.A.
65-2896 to
65-2897b, inclusive, and amendments thereto, shall govern the
direction
and supervision of physicians' assistants by persons licensed by
the state
board of healing arts to practice medicine and surgery.
(d) Nothing in subsection (a)(4) shall be construed to
prohibit a per-
son licensed to practice medicine and surgery from ordering,
authorizing
or directing anesthesia care by a registered nurse anesthetist
pursuant to
K.S.A. 65-1158 and amendments thereto.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a
person
licensed to practice medicine and surgery from ordering,
authorizing or
directing physical therapy services pursuant to K.S.A. 65-2901
et seq. and
amendments thereto.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a
person
licensed to practice medicine and surgery from entering into a
co-man-
agement relationship with an optometrist pursuant to K.S.A. 65-1501
et
seq. and amendments thereto.
(g) This section shall be part of and supplemental to the
Kansas heal-
ing arts act.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 1997 Supp. 65-2837 is hereby amended to
read as
follows: 65-2837. As used in K.S.A. 65-2836, and amendments
thereto,
and in this section:
(a) ``Professional incompetency'' means:
(1) One or more instances involving failure to adhere to the
appli-
cable standard of care to a degree which constitutes gross
negligence, as
determined by the board.
(2) Repeated instances involving failure to adhere to the
applicable
standard of care to a degree which constitutes ordinary negligence,
as
determined by the board.
(3) A pattern of practice or other behavior which demonstrates
a
manifest incapacity or incompetence to practice medicine.
(b) ``Unprofessional conduct'' means:
(1) Solicitation of professional patronage through the use of
fraudu-
lent or false advertisements, or profiting by the acts of those
representing
themselves to be agents of the licensee.
(2) Representing to a patient that a manifestly incurable
disease, con-
dition or injury can be permanently cured.
(3) Assisting in the care or treatment of a patient without
the consent
of the patient, the attending physician or the patient's legal
representa-
tives.
(4) The use of any letters, words, or terms, as an affix, on
stationery,
in advertisements, or otherwise indicating that such person is
entitled to
practice a branch of the healing arts for which such person is not
licensed.
(5) Performing, procuring or aiding and abetting in the
performance
or procurement of a criminal abortion.
(6) Willful betrayal of confidential information.
(7) Advertising professional superiority or the performance of
pro-
fessional services in a superior manner.
(8) Advertising to guarantee any professional service or to
perform
any operation painlessly.
(9) Participating in any action as a staff member of a medical
care
facility which is designed to exclude or which results in the
exclusion of
any person licensed to practice medicine and surgery from the
medical
staff of a nonprofit medical care facility licensed in this state
because of
the branch of the healing arts practiced by such person or without
just
cause.
(10) Failure to effectuate the declaration of a qualified
patient as
provided in subsection (a) of K.S.A. 65-28,107, and amendments
thereto.
(11) Prescribing, ordering, dispensing, administering,
selling, supply-
ing or giving any amphetamines or sympathomimetic amines, except
as
authorized by K.S.A. 65-2837a, and amendments thereto.
(12) Conduct likely to deceive, defraud or harm the
public.
(13) Making a false or misleading statement regarding the
licensee's
skill or the efficacy or value of the drug, treatment or remedy
prescribed
by the licensee or at the licensee's direction in the treatment of
any dis-
ease or other condition of the body or mind.
(14) Aiding or abetting the practice of the healing arts by an
unli-
censed, incompetent or impaired person.
(15) Allowing another person or organization to use the
licensee's
license to practice the healing arts.
(16) Commission of any act of sexual abuse, misconduct or
exploita-
tion related to the licensee's professional practice.
(17) The use of any false, fraudulent or deceptive statement
in any
document connected with the practice of the healing arts including
the
intentional falsifying or fraudulent altering of a patient or
medical care
facility record.
(18) Obtaining any fee by fraud, deceit or
misrepresentation.
(19) Directly or indirectly giving or receiving any fee,
commission,
rebate or other compensation for professional services not actually
and
personally rendered, other than through the legal functioning of
lawful
professional partnerships, corporations or associations.
(20) Failure to transfer patient records to another licensee
when re-
quested to do so by the subject patient or by such patient's
legally des-
ignated representative.
(21) Performing unnecessary tests, examinations or services
which
have no legitimate medical purpose.
(22) Charging an excessive fee for services rendered.
(23) Prescribing, dispensing, administering, distributing a
prescrip-
tion drug or substance, including a controlled substance, in an
excessive,
improper or inappropriate manner or quantity or not in the course
of the
licensee's professional practice.
(24) Repeated failure to practice healing arts with that level
of care,
skill and treatment which is recognized by a reasonably prudent
similar
practitioner as being acceptable under similar conditions and
circum-
stances.
(25) Failure to keep written medical records which accurately
de-
scribe the services rendered to the patient, including patient
histories,
pertinent findings, examination results and test results.
(26) Delegating professional responsibilities to a person when
the
licensee knows or has reason to know that such person is not
qualified by
training, experience or licensure to perform them.
(27) Using experimental forms of therapy without proper
informed
patient consent, without conforming to generally accepted criteria
or stan-
dard protocols, without keeping detailed legible records or without
having
periodic analysis of the study and results reviewed by a committee
or
peers.
(28) Prescribing, dispensing, administering or distributing an
ana-
bolic steroid or human growth hormone for other than a valid
medical
purpose. Bodybuilding, muscle enhancement or increasing muscle
bulk
or strength through the use of an anabolic steroid or human growth
hor-
mone by a person who is in good health is not a valid medical
purpose.
(29) Referring a patient to a health care entity for services
if the
licensee has a significant investment interest in the health care
entity,
unless the licensee informs the patient in writing of such
significant in-
vestment interest and that the patient may obtain such services
elsewhere.
(30) Failing to properly supervise, direct or delegate acts
which con-
stitute the healing arts to persons who perform professional
services pur-
suant to such licensee's direction, supervision, order,
referral, delegation
or practice protocols.
(c) ``False advertisement'' means any advertisement which is
false,
misleading or deceptive in a material respect. In determining
whether
any advertisement is misleading, there shall be taken into account
not
only representations made or suggested by statement, word, design,
de-
vice, sound or any combination thereof, but also the extent to
which the
advertisement fails to reveal facts material in the light of such
represen-
tations made.
(d) ``Advertisement'' means all representations disseminated
in any
manner or by any means, for the purpose of inducing, or which are
likely
to induce, directly or indirectly, the purchase of professional
services.
(e) ``Licensee'' for purposes of this section and K.S.A.
65-2836, and
amendments thereto, shall mean all persons issued a license, permit
or
special permit pursuant to article 28 of chapter 65 of the Kansas
Statutes
Annotated.
(f) ``License'' for purposes of this section and K.S.A.
65-2836, and
amendments thereto, shall mean any license, permit or special
permit
granted under article 28 of chapter 65 of the Kansas Statutes
Annotated.
(g) ``Health care entity'' means any corporation, firm,
partnership or
other business entity which provides services for diagnosis or
treatment
of human health conditions and which is owned separately from a
refer-
ring licensee's principle practice.
(h) ``Significant investment interest'' means ownership of at
least 10%
of the value of the firm, partnership or other business entity
which owns
or leases the health care entity, or ownership of at least 10% of
the shares
of stock of the corporation which owns or leases the health care
entity.
Sec. 3. K.S.A. 1997 Supp. 65-2837 is hereby repealed.
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from
and after its
publication in the statute book.
Approved May 13, 1998
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