§ 6542. Performance of medical services. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a physician assistant may perform medical services, but only when under the supervision of a physician and only when such acts and duties as are assigned to him or her are within the scope of practice of such supervising physician.

Terms Used In N.Y. Education Law 6542

  • approved program: means a program for the education of physician assistants which has been formerly approved by the department. See N.Y. Education Law 6540
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • hospital: means an institution or facility possessing a valid operating certificate issued pursuant to Article 28 of the public health law and authorized to employ physician assistants in accordance with rules and regulations of the public health and health planning council. See N.Y. Education Law 6540
  • physician: means a practitioner of medicine licensed to practice medicine pursuant to article one hundred thirty-one of this chapter. See N.Y. Education Law 6540
  • physician assistant: means a person who is licensed as a physician assistant pursuant to this article. See N.Y. Education Law 6540

2. Supervision shall be continuous but shall not be construed as necessarily requiring the physical presence of the supervising physician at the time and place where such services are performed.

3. No physician shall employ or supervise more than four physician assistants in his or her private practice.

4. Nothing in this article shall prohibit a hospital from employing physician assistants provided they work under the supervision of a physician designated by the hospital and not beyond the scope of practice of such physician. The numerical limitation of subdivision three of this section shall not apply to services performed in a hospital.

5. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, nothing shall prohibit a physician employed by or rendering services to the department of corrections and community supervision under contract from supervising no more than six physician assistants in his or her practice for the department of corrections and community supervision.

6. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a trainee in an approved program may perform medical services when such services are performed within the scope of such program.

7. Nothing in this article, or in Article 37 of the public health law, shall be construed to authorize physician assistants to perform those specific functions and duties specifically delegated by law to those persons licensed as allied health professionals under the public health law or this chapter.