As used in this Part:

            (1) “Approved program” means a program for the education and training of physician assistants which has been formally approved by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation, its predecessors, or its successors.

            (2) “Board” means the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners within the Louisiana Department of Health.

            (3) “Health care organization or entity” means any entity or organization providing health care services which is licensed or regulated under Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 or regulations promulgated by the Louisiana Department of Health. “Health care organization or entity” shall also mean an entity commonly referred to as a physician-hospital organization or other similar entity.

            (4) “Physician” means a person who is licensed to practice medicine in this state.

            (5) “Physician assistant” means a health professional qualified by academic and clinical education and licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to provide health care services at the direction and under the supervision of a physician or a group of physicians approved by the board as a supervising physician.

            (6) “Physician assistant-certified (PA-C)” means a physician assistant who is currently certified by the National Commission on the Certification of Physicians’ Assistants or its successors.

            (7) “Supervising physician” means a physician who has been approved by the board to supervise a physician assistant.

            (8) “Supervision” means responsible direction and control, with the supervising physician assuming legal liability for the services rendered by the physician assistant in the course and scope of the physician assistant’s employment. Such supervision shall not be construed in every case to require the physical presence of the supervising physician. However, the supervising physician and physician assistant must have the capability to be in contact with each other by either telephone or other telecommunications device. Supervision shall exist when the supervising physician responsible for the patient gives informed concurrence of the action of a physician assistant, whether given prior to or after the action, and when a medical treatment plan or action is made in accordance with written clinical practice guidelines or protocols set forth by the supervising physician. The level and method of supervision shall be at the physician and physician assistant level, shall be documented and reviewed annually, and shall reflect the acuity of the patient care and nature of the procedure.

            (9) “Trainee” means a person who is currently enrolled in an approved physician assistant program.

            Added by Acts 1977, No. 753, §1. Acts 1993, No. 662, §1, eff. June 16, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 879, §1; Acts 1997, No. 316, §1; Acts 2015, No. 453, §1, eff. July 1, 2015.