Definitions

As used in these rules, the following terms and acronyms shall have the following meaning ascribed to them: (1) A.A.P.A. - American Academy of Physician Assistants. (2) Advertising - Informational communication to the public in any manner to attract attention to the practice as a Physician Assistant. Includes, but is not limited to business solicitation, with or without limiting qualifications, in a card, sign, or device issued to a person; in a sign or marking, in or on any building; or in any newspaper, magazine, directory, or other printed matter. Advertising also includes business solicitations communicated by individual, radio, video, or television broadcasting or other means designed to secure public attention. (3) A.M.A. - American Medical Association. (4) Applicant - Any individual seeking licensure by the Committee who has submitted an official application and paid the application fee. (5) A.R.C.-P.A. - The Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant or its successor organization, which is the successor organization to C.A.A.H.E.P. for physician assistant education accreditation. (6) Board - Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. (7) C.A.A.H.E.P. - The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or its successor organization, which is the successor organization to C.A.H.E.A. (8) C.A.H.E.A. - The Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association or its successor accrediting agency. (9) Closed Files - An administrative action which renders an incomplete or denied file inactive. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE CHAPTER 1130-01 OF A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT (10) Committee - The Committee on Physician Assistants (C.O.P.A.). (11) Committee Administrative Office - The office of the administrator assigned to the Committee located on the 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243. (12) Committee Designee - Any person who has received a written delegation of authority from the Committee to perform Committee functions subject to review and ratification by the Committee and the Board where provided by these rules. (13) Consultant - Any person who has received a delegation of authority from the Committee to perform Committee functions subject to review and ratification by the Committee and Board where provided by these rules. (14) Department - Tennessee Department of Health. (15) Division - The Division of Health Related Boards, Tennessee Department of Health, from which the Committee receives administrative support. (16) FCVS - The Federation Credentials Verification Service which is a service offered by the Federation of State Medical Boards that provides primary source identification and verification of physician assistant core credentials as required in licensure applications by the states. (17) Fee - Money, gifts, services, or anything of value offered or received as compensation in return for rendering services; also, the required application fees. (18) Formulary - A list of legend and non-legend drugs arranged by therapeutic categories, included in the protocols, that are approved to be prescribed and/or issued by a physician assistant, which may include controlled substances listed in Schedules II, III, IV and V of Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4. (19) Good Moral Character - The quality of being well regarded in professional ethics. (20) Graduate - An individual who has graduated from an accredited P.A. program whose transcript shows that graduation has been completed. (21) He/she Him/her - When “he” appears in the text of these rules, the word represents both the feminine and masculine genders. (22) HRB - Health Related Boards. (23) License - The document issued by the Committee to an applicant who has completed the licensure process. (24) N.C.C.P.A - National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants. (25) P.A. - Physician Assistant. (26) Person - Any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, organization, or body politic. (27) Physician - Any physician licensed pursuant to T.C.A. Title 63, Chapters 6 or 9. (28) Supervising physician - a licensed and actively practicing physician who has been identified as accepting responsibility for supervising a physician assistant GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE CHAPTER 1130-01 OF A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT (29) T.A.P.A. - Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants. (30) Use of Title or Description - To hold oneself out to the public as having a particular status by means of stating on signs, mailboxes, address plates, telephone listings, stationery, announcements, business cards, or other means of professional identification. (31) Written Evidence - Includes, but is not limited to, written verification from supervisors or other professional colleagues familiar with the applicant’s work. (32) Written Protocol - A jointly developed written statement by the supervising physician and physician assistant. Includes, but not limited to, problems and conditions likely to be encountered by the physician assistant and the appropriate treatment for these problems and conditions. This protocol will establish a practice specific range of approved tasks, problems, and conditions, including prescribing of any medications if delegated. These protocols shall be signed by both the supervising physician and the physician assistant and reviewed at least every two (2) years.