Section 25.175. Physician assistants and satellite operations

(a) No physician assistant may be permitted to be utilized in an office or clinic separate and apart from the supervising physician’s primary place for meeting patients unless the supervising physician has obtained specific approval from the Board. A supervising physician may supervise only one satellite operation. The criteria for granting approval is that the supervising physician demonstrate the following to the satisfaction of the Board:

(1) That the physician assistant will be utilized in an area of medical need recognized by the Board.

(2) That there is adequate provision for direct communication between the physician assistant and the supervising physician and that the distance between the main office and the satellite operation is not so great as to prohibit or impede appropriate support services.

(3) That provision is made for the supervising physician to see each regular patient every fifth visit, except for those patients referred to in paragraph (5).

(4) That the supervising physician will visit the remote office at least weekly and spend enough time on-site to provide supervision and personally review the records of each patient seen by the physician assistant in this setting.

(5) That the supervising physician will see every child patient from infancy to 2 years of age at least every third visit, and from 2 years of age to 18 years of age, at least every other visit.

(6) That the physician assistant to be utilized in the satellite office has been employed by a Pennsylvania Board approved supervising physician in his primary office for at least 1 year.

(b) Appropriate records of patient and supervisory contact shall be maintained and available for Board review. Failure to maintain the standards required for such an operation under the criteria listed in subsection (a) may result not only in the loss of the privilege to maintain a satellite operation but may result in the revocation of the supervising physician’s registration and license.

The provisions of this § 25.175 adopted April 23, 1982, effective April 24, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 1332.

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 25.175 issued under section 506 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 186); and sections 10(h) and 16 of the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act (63 P. S. § § 271.10(h) and 271.16).

Cross References

This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 25.162 (relating to criteria for registration as supervising physician); and 49 Pa. Code § 25.172 (relating to prohibitions).