Bill Text: NJ ACR32 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Strongly encourages State Board of Medical Examiners to adopt regulations as necessary to authorize radiologist assistants to practice in New Jersey.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-08-03 - Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [ACR32 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-ACR32-Introduced.html
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 32
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANGELICA M. JIMENEZ
District 32 (Bergen and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Strongly encourages State Board of Medical Examiners to adopt regulations as necessary to authorize radiologist assistants to practice in New Jersey.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Concurrent Resolution strongly encouraging the adoption of rules and regulations related to the practice of radiologist assistants in the State.
Whereas, Radiologist assistants are advanced-level radiographers who improve patient access to timely radiologic care, and extend the capacity of radiologists in the diagnostic imaging environment, by performing patient assessment, patient management, fluoroscopy, and other radiology procedures under radiologist supervision, and by making initial observations of diagnostic images; and
Whereas, Radiologist assistants effectively reduce the workload of radiologists, and improve productivity and efficiency in the diagnostic imaging environment, by performing exams designated by a radiologist, and by allowing radiologists to spend more time on image interpretation and diagnosis and the performance of invasive procedures that lie outside the scope of the assistant's practice; and
Whereas, In order to engage in practice as a radiologist assistant, a person must be licensed as a diagnostic radiologic technologist, and must additionally be certified by, and registered with, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) as a radiologist assistant; and
Whereas, A person may not become certified and registered as a radiologist assistant, unless the person has first completed an ARRT-recognized advanced educational program that encompasses a nationally recognized radiologist assistant curriculum and includes a radiologist-directed clinical preceptorship; and
Whereas, The Master of Science Radiologist Assistant Program, which is offered by Rutgers, the State University, at Newark, is one of only nine educational programs across the United States that has been recognized by the ARRT as being adequate for the purposes of radiologist assistant certification and registration; and
Whereas, Based upon the education and competency testing required to act as a registered radiologist assistant, the Radiological Society of New Jersey (RSNJ) and Rutgers University have each determined that it is appropriate to authorize radiologist assistants, as part of their scope of practice, to perform the following delegated procedures, which require the use of fluoroscopic equipment: esophageal study; swallowing function study; upper gastrointestinal study (UGI); small bowel study; barium enema (BE) lower gastrointestinal study; nasogastric/enteric and oroenteric/enteric tube placement; t-tube cholangiogram; chest fluoroscopy; hysterosalpingogram procedure and imaging; Antegrade Pyelogram; arthrogram, joint injection and aspiration; cystography or voiding cystourethrography (catheter placement); loopography; lumbar puncture with contrast; myelogram; abcess, fistula, sinus tract study; paracentesis; thoracentesis; venous access ports; tunneled and non-tunneled central venous catheters; tunneled and non-tunneled peripherally inserted central venous catheters; and tunneled and non-tunneled chest and abdominal drainage catheters; and
Whereas, Despite the fact that New Jersey is one of the few states in the nation that provides sufficient education for radiologist assistant certification, and is one of only a few regular producers of professionals in this field, radiologist assistants are currently unable to practice in this State, because the State Board of Medical Examiners (BME) has failed to adopt regulations to define the parameters of this particular practice specialty; and
Whereas, Although the practice of radiologic technologists and radiologist assistants in New Jersey is primarily regulated by the Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners, in the Department of Environmental Protection, (hereafter referenced as the "DEP Radiologic Board"), the regulations adopted by the DEP Radiologic Board, in this respect, require certain additional regulatory actions to be undertaken by the BME before radiologist assistants will be authorized to practice in New Jersey; and
Whereas, The DEP Radiologic Board's regulations at N.J.A.C.7:28-19.1 et seq. specify, in particular, that an ARRT-certified radiologist assistant in New Jersey will be authorized to perform procedures identified by the ARRT, but only if those procedures have been approved by the BME, and only if those procedures are performed "under the level of radiologist supervision specified by the BME;" and
Whereas, Although the DEP Radiologic Board authorizes radiologist assistants to perform supervised procedures approved by the BME, it does not appear that the BME has taken appropriate regulatory action to adopt a list of approved procedures that may be undertaken by a radiologic assistant in accordance with the Radiologic Board's authorizations, or to identify the level of radiologist supervision that is necessary for a radiologic assistant to perform such approved procedures; and
Whereas, Without these BME regulations, the authorizations contained in the DEP Radiologic Board's regulations are insufficient to allow a certified and registered radiologist assistant to practice in the State; and
Whereas, This inability of radiologist assistants to practice in New Jersey has resulted in the unintended outsourcing of talent to other states, as properly educated professionals are forced to leave the State to find appropriate employment in their specialty; and
Whereas, Because it would significantly benefit radiologists and patients in New Jersey to maintain this educated workforce in the State and allow radiologist assistants to become incorporated into the State's diagnostic imaging environments, it is essential that the BME promptly adopt appropriate rules and regulations, as is necessary to allow radiologist assistants to practice their specialty in this State; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):
1. The State Board of Medical Examiners is strongly urged to adopt rules and regulations, within one year after the effective date of this resolution, and pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to define the parameters for radiologist assistant practice in New Jersey, as is necessary to implement existing regulations of the Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners, which authorize certified radiologist assistants to practice in New Jersey, but only in accordance with parameters established by the Board of Medical Examiners. In particular, and as soon as is practicable, the Board of Medical Examiners is strongly advised to adopt a list of approved procedures in which a certified radiologist assistant may engage in the State, and identify the levels of supervision that are necessary for radiologist assistants to engage in such approved procedures.
2. The Governor is respectfully requested to take any executive actions, which may be necessary to facilitate the rule-making described in section 1 of this resolution.
3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly or the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor, the Chair of the Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners, and each member of the State Board of Medical Examiners.
STATEMENT
This resolution would strongly urge the State Board of Medical Examiners (BME) to adopt rules and regulations, within one year after the resolution's effective date, as is necessary to allow radiologist assistants to practice in New Jersey. Radiologist assistants are advanced-level radiographers who improve patient access to timely radiologic care, and extend the capacity of radiologists in the diagnostic imaging environment, by performing patient assessment, patient management, fluoroscopy, and other radiology procedures under radiologist supervision, and by making initial observations of diagnostic images. They effectively reduce the workload of radiologists, and improve productivity and efficiency in the diagnostic imaging environment, by performing exams when a radiologist is not available, and by allowing radiologists to spend more time on image interpretation and diagnosis and the performance of invasive procedures that lie outside the scope of the assistant's practice.
The Radiological Society of New Jersey (RSNJ) and Rutgers University have each determined that it is appropriate to authorize radiologist assistants, as part of their scope of practice, to perform the following delegated procedures, which require the use of fluoroscopic equipment: esophageal study; swallowing function study; upper gastrointestinal study (UGI); small bowel study; barium enema (BE) lower gastrointestinal study; nasogastric/enteric and oroenteric/enteric tube placement; t-tube cholangiogram; chest fluoroscopy; hysterosalpingogram procedure and imaging; Antegrade Pyelogram; arthrogram, joint injection and aspiration; cystography or voiding cystourethrography (catheter placement); loopography; lumbar puncture with contrast; myelogram; abcess, fistula, sinus tract study; paracentesis; thoracentesis; venous access ports; tunneled and non-tunneled central venous catheters; tunneled and non-tunneled peripherally inserted central venous catheters; and tunneled and non-tunneled chest and abdominal drainage catheters.
In order to engage in practice as a radiologist assistant, a person must be licensed as a diagnostic radiologic technologist, and must additionally be certified by, and registered with, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) as a radiologist assistant. A person may not become certified and registered as a radiologist assistant, however, unless the person has first completed an ARRT-recognized educational program.
The Master of Science Radiologist Assistant Program, which is offered by Rutgers, the State University, at Newark, is one of only nine educational programs across the United States that has been recognized by the ARRT as being adequate for the purposes of radiologist assistant certification and registration. However, while New Jersey is one of the few states in the nation that provides sufficient education for radiologist assistant certification, and is one of only a few regular producers of professionals in this field, radiologist assistants are currently unable to practice in this State, because the BME has failed to appropriately define the parameters of this particular practice specialty.
Although the practice of radiologic technologists and radiologist assistants in New Jersey is primarily regulated by the Radiologic Technology Board of Examiners, in the Department of Environmental Protection, (hereafter referenced as the "DEP Radiologic Board"), the regulations adopted by the DEP Radiologic Board, in this respect, require certain additional regulatory actions to be undertaken by the BME before radiologist assistants will be authorized to practice in New Jersey. In particular, the Radiologic Board's regulations specify that an ARRT-certified radiologist assistant in New Jersey will be authorized to perform procedures identified by the ARRT, but only if those procedures have been approved by the BME, and only if the radiologist assistant performs those procedures "under the level of radiologist supervision specified by the BME." It does not appear, however, that the BME has taken appropriate regulatory action to adopt a list of approved procedures that may be undertaken by a radiologic assistant in accordance with the Radiologic Board's authorizations, or to identify the level of radiologist supervision that is necessary for a radiologic assistant to perform such approved procedures. Without these BME regulations, the authorizations specified in the DEP Radiologic Board's regulations are insufficient to allow a certified and registered radiologist assistant to practice in the State. Accordingly, in order to allow radiologist assistants to become incorporated into diagnostic imaging environments in New Jersey, and prevent properly educated radiologist assistants from being forced to seek employment in other states, it is necessary for the BME to adopt appropriate regulations in this area.
