D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 17, r. 17-4906

Current through Register Vol. 71, No. 49, December 6, 2024

Rule 17-4906 - CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

4906.1

Except as provided in § 4906.2, this section shall apply to applicants for the renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement of a license for a term expiring December 31, 1992, and for subsequent terms.

4906.2

This section does not apply to applicants for an initial license by examination, or reciprocity, nor does it apply to applicants for the first renewal of a license granted by examination.

4906.3

A continuing education credit may be granted only for a program or activity approved by the Board in accordance with § 4907.

4906.4

An applicant for renewal of a license to practice as a physician assistant shall submit proof pursuant to § 4906.7 of having completed during the two-year (2) period preceding the date the license expires approved continuing medical education as follows:

(a) Forty (40) hours of credit in continuing medical education meeting the requirements of Category 1, as specified in § 4907.2;

(b) Sixty (60) hours of credit in continuing medical education meeting the requirements of either Category 1 or Category 2, as specified in § 4907.2 or § 4907.3; and

(c) Beginning with the renewal period ending December 31, 2018, two (2) hours of credit in Category 1 or Category 1-equivalent continuing medical education coursework focusing on cultural competence or appropriate clinical treatment specifically for individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming, queer, or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression (LGBTQ), which shall meet the requirements of § 4906.8, and which shall count towards the hours required under paragraph (b). Category I-equivalent hours shall be acceptable so long as they have been prescribed by the American Academy of Family Physicians or another entity approved by the Board.

4906.5

An applicant for reactivation of an inactive license or reinstatement of a license to practice as a physician assistant shall submit proof pursuant to § 4906.7 of having completed during the two-year (2) period immediately preceding the date of application approved continuing medical education as follows:

(a) Forty (40) hours of credit in continuing medical education meeting the requirements of Category 1;

(b) Sixty (60) hours of credit in continuing medical education meeting the requirements of either Category 1 or Category 2; and

4906.6

A physician assistant who is required to obtain continuing medical education credits pursuant to § 4906.4 or 4906.5 may, in lieu of meeting the requirements of those sections, furnish proof satisfactory to the Board that the physician assistant holds a current valid certificate from the NCCPA that entitles the physician assistant (under the by- laws of the NCCPA) to use the designation "Physician Assistant-Certified" or "PA-C." Nothing in this subsection shall waive the requirement of §§ 4906.4(c) and 4906.5(c).

4906.7

An applicant under this section shall furnish proof of having completed required continuing education credits by submitting with the application the following information:

(a) The name of the program and its approval number;

(b) The dates on which the applicant attended the program or performed the activity;

(c) The hours of credit claimed; and

(d) Verification by the applicant of completion.

4906.8

Continuing medical education hours that are completed, pursuant to § 4906.4(c), in cultural competence and appropriate clinical treatment specifically for individuals who are LGBTQ shall, at a minimum, provide information and skills to enable a physician assistant to care effectively and respectfully for patients who identify as LGBTQ, which may include:

(a) Specialized clinical training relevant to patients who identify as LGBTQ, including training on how to use cultural information and terminology to establish clinical relationships;

(b) Training that improves the understanding and application, in a clinical setting, of relevant data concerning health disparities and risk factors for patients who identify as LGBTQ;

(c) Training that outlines the legal obligations associated with treating patients who identify as LGBTQ;

(d) Best practices for collecting, storing, using, and keeping confidential, information regarding sexual orientation and gender identity;

(e) Best practices for training support staff regarding the treatment of patients who identify as LGBTQ and their families;

(f) Training that improves the understanding of the intersections between systems of oppression and discrimination and improves the recognition that those who identify as LGBTQ may experience these systems in varying degrees of intensity; and

(g) Training that addresses underlying cultural biases aimed at improving the provision of nondiscriminatory care for patients who identify as LGBTQ.

D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 17, r. 17-4906

Final Rulemaking published at 36 DCR 8263, 8265 (December 8, 1989); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 65 DCR 5666 (5/18/2018)