Physician Voices for Patient Safety
On this page:
About the bill
Impact on patients in DC
Impact of physicians in DC
What can you do?
Resources
About the bill
In November 2023, DC Health introduced B25-545, the Health Occupations Revisions General Amendment Act of 2023. This bill is a comprehensive rewrite of the law overseeing medical licensing and regulation in Washington, DC.
Unfortunately, the bill as written would overhaul scope of practice, place allied health professionals in oversight positions of medical licensing, and remove the physician from the center of the care team.
MSDC has long advocated that a physician is the most qualified professional at the head of a care team. Physicians have the most health education and pre-practice experience of any health professional, and thus must be involved in all but the most mundane health care decisions. Allied health professionals are a valuable part of the care team, but their medical education and experience limits their role.
The Medical Society of the District of Columbia (MSDC) is the leading voice for physicians in Washington, DC, committed to uniting physicians to advocate for physician-led health care in Washington, DC that protects patients from harm and increases access to quality care. MSDC is leading a coalition of Washington, DC specialty medical societies to advocate against the Health Occupations Revisions General Amendment Act of 2023.
Impact on patients
As currently written, the bill would weaken patient care by expanding the ability of non-physician professionals to practice medicine beyond their training. DC residents deserve access to proper medical care from professionals with the right knowledge and experience to ensure appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Impact on physicians
Below is a breakdown of some of the major changes the bill would introduce, click on the title to expand how the bill would change that item.
Currently the Board of Medicine is composed of 10 physicians and 4 members of the public. The bill as amended would reduce the number of physicians to 9 and adds 2 physician assistants but keep the four members of the public health.
The concern: The bill would codify that APRNs could independently diagnose, prescribe, and administer medicine.
The details: See the analysis from G2L Law Firm on the APRN provisions | See our one-pager on this issue that you can share with colleagues and the Council
The solutions: Independent Advanced Certified Nurse Practitioners should have a defined scope of practice limited to the following functions:
- Practice only in the field of certification;
- Comprehensive physical assessment of patients;
- Certify to the clerk of the court that an adult has given birth;
- Certify to the Transportation authority that an individual has special needs for certain health reasons;
- Complete date of birth and medical information on a birth certificate;
- Complete a death certificate if medical examiner does not take charge and deceased was under the care of the PN;
- Establish medical diagnosis of common short-term and chronic stable health problems;
- File a replacement death certificate;
- Issue a “do not resuscitate order” in medical emergencies;
- Order, perform, and interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests;Prescribe drugs and devices under DC controlled substance Schedules II-V with a valid DEA license, and medical marijuana under DC laws;
- Provide emergency care within the scope of their skills;
- Refer patients to appropriate licensed physicians or other health care providers;
- Certify to utility company that a client has a serious illness or the need for life-support equipment;
- Witness an advanced directive;
- Sign off on home health/care orders.
The concern: As seen below, additional allied health professions are permitted to apply anesthesia. Most concerning is the scope expansion that could permit nurse anesthetists to practice without physician collaboration.
The details: See our one-pager on this issue that you can share with colleagues and the Council
The solution: This bill asks to repeal Section 603 of DC official code ₰3-1206.03, and this action will allow nurse anesthetists to administer anesthesia without an anesthesiologist or other physician's direct collaboration. Language seeking repeal of Section 603 of DC official code ₰3-1206.03 should not be included.
This bill adds Sec. 605a, which contains language that a CRNA may plan and deliver anesthesia, pain management, and related care to patients or clients of all health complexities across the lifespan. Language adding Sec. 605a should be removed from this bill.
The expands audiologists' scope to include "cerumen management" and "interoperative neurophysiologic monitoring" and permits audiologists to screen for cognitive, depression and vision.
The bill completely rewrites the definition of the practice of "chiropractic". Chiropractors could:
- Diagnose and treat biomechanical or physiological conditions that compromise neural integrity or organ system function
- Refer patients for further medical treatment or diagnostic testing
The details: See our one-pager on this issue that you can share with colleagues and the Council
The bill would not longer have physicians overseeing their work but instead a clinical laboratory director
The bill would expand pharmacists' scope to include:
- Ordering labs
- Scheduling and monitoring drug therapy
- Ordering, interpreting, and performing more tests
The details: See our one-pager on this issue that you can share with colleagues and the Council
The bill would permit physical therapists to independently evaluate and treat disability, injury, or disease. PTs may also order imaging as part of their treatment plan.
The concern: The bill expands podiatrists scope of practice to allow:
- apply anesthesia as part of treatment; and
- administer vaccines and injections.
The details: See our one-pager on this issue that you can share with colleagues and the Council
The solution: This bill amends Paragraph (14) of D.C. Official Code § 3-1201.02(14) to define "Practice of podiatry” to include the administration of local anesthesia, monitored anesthesia care, and conscious sedation. Other scope of practice expansions for podiatry include care of human hand and wrist, and administration of injections, vaccinations, and immunizations. Podiatrists should not be administering monitored anesthesia care. Podiatrists do not have the qualifications and training to manage a patient's airway so this language should be stricken.
Throughout the bill, restrictions on nursing scope of practice are removed or loosened throughout. Specific language outlining what and how nurses can practice is removed and replaced with more vague language giving the Mayor (read DC Health) the ability to dictate scope. This applies to many different nursing types, like APRNs and NPs.
Articles on scope of practice
What Wins The Physician Community Got in the HORA Revision Bill
MSDC, the Physician Voices for Patient Safety Coalition, and the DC "house of medicine" have been working tirelessly since November to remove concerning provisions from B25-545. The bill updates the Health Occupations and Regulations Act, better known as the DC law overseeing health licensing and regulation. The bill contained numerous scope of practice expansions for numerous allied health professionals, plus made worrying changes to the make-up of the Board of Medicine. Yesterday, the Council passed the bill on its final reading.
MSDC and the coalition met with Councilmembers, sent letters, rallied our memberships, and spoke up about many of the changes and why removing physicians from the center of the care team would be dangerous to DC healthcare. While we did not win every request, below are some of the major wins you, your medical society, and the physician coalition had in the bill:
- Originally, the Board of Medicine would be composed of many fewer physicians and add up to four allied health providers as voting members, essentially equating physicians with other allied health professions on the oversight Board. The bill as passed changed to only add 2 physician assistants as voting members while only reducing the physician seats by one, maintaining a physician majority on the Board.
- Podiatrists in the original bill would have seen major scope expansion, including the ability to treat wrists and soft tissue in the hand, soft tissue from the ankle to the knee, and oversee the administration of anesthesia. The bill as passed removes this and only allows podiatrists to administer local anesthesia.
- Optometrists would have seen major scope expansion, including prescribing authority, treatment of medical conditions, and more. All optometrist scope expansions were removed.
- The bill originally required laboratory technicians to be licensed for the first time. That requirement - opposed by MSDC, the Hospital Association, and Pathologists - was removed.
- Athletic trainers and physical therapists would have been classified as medical providers and had certain tests and treatments permitted unsupervised. These were reduced in the final bill and DC Health given more regulatory oversight over the professions.
This legislation was a major effort by the physician community, and this plus the new prior auth law shows the power of the physician voice in DC.
Yet the work is never done. Join us June 17 for Council Visit Day to meet Councilmembers and their staff, and speak to the Council on important medical issues before the Council (like the gun violence mandatory CME legislation).