484.4—Personnel qualifications.

Staff required to meet the conditions set forth in this part are staff who meet the qualifications specified in this section.

Administrator, home health agency. A person who:

(a) Is a licensed physician; or

(b) Is a registered nurse; or

(c) Has training and experience in health service administration and at least 1 year of supervisory or administrative experience in home health care or related health programs.

Audiologist. A person who:

(a) Meets the education and experience requirements for a Certificate of Clinical Competence in audiology granted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; or

(b) Meets the educational requirements for certification and is in the process of accumulating the supervised experience required for certification.

Home health aide. Effective for services furnished after August 14, 1990, a person who has successfully completed a State-established or other training program that meets the requirements of § 484.36(a) and a competency evaluation program or State licensure program that meets the requirements of § 484.36 (b) or (e), or a competency evaluation program or State licensure program that meets the requirements of § 484.36 (b) or (e). An individual is not considered to have completed a training and competency evaluation program, or a competency evaluation program if, since the individual's most recent completion of this program(s), there has been a continuous period of 24 consecutive months during none of which the individual furnished services described in § 409.40 of this chapter for compensation.

Occupational therapist. A person who—

(a) (1) Is licensed or otherwise regulated, if applicable, as an occupational therapist by the State in which practicing, unless licensure does not apply;

(2) Graduated after successful completion of an occupational therapist education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), or successor organizations of ACOTE; and

(3) Is eligible to take, or has successfully completed the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists developed and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT).

(b) On or before December 31, 2009—

(1) Is licensed or otherwise regulated, if applicable, as an occupational therapist by the State in which practicing; or

(2) When licensure or other regulation does not apply—

(i) Graduated after successful completion of an occupational therapist education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA) or successor organizations of ACOTE; and

(ii) Is eligible to take, or has successfully completed the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists developed and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc., (NBCOT).

(1) Graduated after successful completion of an occupational therapy program accredited jointly by the committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association; or

(2) Is eligible for the National Registration Examination of the American Occupational Therapy Association or the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

(d) On or before December 31, 1977—

(1) Had 2 years of appropriate experience as an occupational therapist; and

(2) Had achieved a satisfactory grade on an occupational therapist proficiency examination conducted, approved, or sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service.

(e) If educated outside the United States, must meet all of the following:

(1) Graduated after successful completion of an occupational therapist education program accredited as substantially equivalent to occupational therapist entry level education in the United States by one of the following:

(i) The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

(ii) Successor organizations of ACOTE.

(iii) The World Federation of Occupational Therapists.

(iv) A credentialing body approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association.

(2) Successfully completed the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapists developed and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT).

(3) On or before December 31, 2009, is licensed or otherwise regulated, if applicable, as an occupational therapist by the State in which practicing.

Occupational therapy assistant. A person who—

(a) Meets all of the following:

(1) Is licensed, unless licensure does not apply, or otherwise regulated, if applicable, as an occupational therapy assistant by the State in which practicing.

(2) Graduated after successful completion of an occupational therapy assistant education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA) or its successor organizations.

(3) Is eligible to take or successfully completed the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapy assistants developed and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT).

(b) On or before December 31, 2009—

(1) Is licensed or otherwise regulated as an occupational therapy assistant, if applicable, by the State in which practicing; or any qualifications defined by the State in which practicing, unless licensure does not apply; or

(2) Must meet both of the following:

(i) Completed certification requirements to practice as an occupational therapy assistant established by a credentialing organization approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association.

(ii) After January 1, 2010, meets the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section.

(1) Completed certification requirements to practice as an occupational therapy assistant established by a credentialing organization approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association; or

(2) Completed the requirements to practice as an occupational therapy assistant applicable in the State in which practicing.

(d) On or before December 31, 1977—

(1) Had 2 years of appropriate experience as an occupational therapy assistant; and

(2) Had achieved a satisfactory grade on an occupational therapy assistant proficiency examination conducted, approved, or sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service.

(e) If educated outside the United States, on or after January 1, 2008—

(1) Graduated after successful completion of an occupational therapy assistant education program that is accredited as substantially equivalent to occupational therapist assistant entry level education in the United States by—

(i) The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

(ii) Its successor organizations.

(iii) The World Federation of Occupational Therapists.

(iv) By a credentialing body approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association; and

(2) Successfully completed the entry-level certification examination for occupational therapy assistants developed and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT).

Physical therapist. A person who is licensed, if applicable, by the State in which practicing, unless licensure does not apply and meets one of the following requirements:

(a) (1) Graduated after successful completion of a physical therapist education program approved by one of the following:

(i) The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

(ii) Successor organizations of CAPTE.

(iii) An education program outside the United States determined to be substantially equivalent to physical therapist entry-level education in the United States by a credentials evaluation organization approved by the American Physical Therapy Association or an organization identified in 8 CFR 212.15(e) as it relates to physical therapists; and

(2) Passed an examination for physical therapists approved by the State in which physical therapy services are provided.

(b) On or before December 31, 2009—

(1) Graduated after successful completion of a physical therapy curriculum approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE); or

(2) Meets both of the following:

(i) Graduated after successful completion of an education program determined to be substantially equivalent to physical therapist entry level education in the United States by a credentials evaluation organization approved by the American Physical Therapy Association or identified in 8 CFR 212.15(e) as it relates to physical therapists.

(ii) Passed an examination for physical therapists approved by the State in which physical therapy services are provided.

(1) Graduated from a physical therapy curriculum approved by one of the following:

(i) The American Physical Therapy Association.

(ii) The Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association.

(iii) The Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association and the American Physical Therapy Association.

(d) On or before December 31, 1977 was licensed or qualified as a physical therapist and meets both of the following:

(1) Has 2 years of appropriate experience as a physical therapist.

(2) Has achieved a satisfactory grade on a proficiency examination conducted, approved, or sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service.

(e) Before January 1, 1966—

(1) Was admitted to membership by the American Physical Therapy Association; or

(2) Was admitted to registration by the American Registry of Physical Therapists; or

(3) Has graduated from a physical therapy curriculum in a 4-year college or university approved by a State department of education.

(f) Before January 1, 1966 was licensed or registered, and before January 1, 1970, had 15 years of full-time experience in the treatment of illness or injury through the practice of physical therapy in which services were rendered under the order and direction of attending and referring doctors of medicine or osteopathy.

(g) If trained outside the United States before January 1, 2008, meets the following requirements:

(1) Was graduated since 1928 from a physical therapy curriculum approved in the country in which the curriculum was located and in which there is a member organization of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.

(2) Meets the requirements for membership in a member organization of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.

Physical therapist assistant. A person who is licensed, unless licensure does not apply, registered, or certified as a physical therapist assistant, if applicable, by the State in which practicing, and meets one of the following requirements:

(a) (1) Graduated from a physical therapist assistant curriculum approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association; or if educated outside the United States or trained in the United States military, graduated from an education program determined to be substantially equivalent to physical therapist assistant entry level education in the United States by a credentials evaluation organization approved by the American Physical Therapy Association or identified at 8 CFR 212.15(e); and

(2) Passed a national examination for physical therapist assistants.

(b) On or before December 31, 2009, meets one of the following:

(1) Is licensed, or otherwise regulated in the State in which practicing.

(2) In States where licensure or other regulations do not apply, graduated on or before December 31, 2009, from a 2-year college-level program approved by the American Physical Therapy Association and, effective January 1, 2010 meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this definition.

(c) Before January 1, 2008, where licensure or other regulation does not apply, graduated from a 2-year college-level program approved by the American Physical Therapy Association.

(d) On or before December 31, 1977, was licensed or qualified as a physical therapist assistant and has achieved a satisfactory grade on a proficiency examination conducted, approved, or sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service.

Physician. A doctor of medicine, osteophathy or podiatry legally authorized to practice medicine and surgery by the State in which such function or action is performed.

Practical (vocational) nurse. A person who is licensed as a practical (vocational) nurse by the State in which practicing.

Public health nurse. A registered nurse who has completed a baccalaureate degree program approved by the National League for Nursing for public health nursing preparation or postregistered nurse study that includes content aproved by the National League for Nursing for public health nursing preparation.

Registered nurse (RN). A graduate of an approved school of professional nursing, who is licensed as a registered nurse by the State in which practicing.

Social work assistant. A person who:

(1) Has a baccalaureate degree in social work, psychology, sociology, or other field related to social work, and has had at least 1 year of social work experience in a health care setting; or

(2) Has 2 years of appropriate experience as a social work assistant, and has achieved a satisfactory grade on a proficiency examination conducted, approved, or sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service, except that these determinations of proficiency do not apply with respect to persons initially licensed by a State or seeking initial qualification as a social work assistant after December 31, 1977.

Social worker. A person who has a master's degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and has 1 year of social work experience in a health care setting.

Speech-language pathologist. A person who meets either of the following requirements:

(a) The education and experience requirements for a Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology granted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

(b) The educational requirements for certification and is in the process of accumulating the supervised experience required for certification.

[54 FR 33367, August 14, 1989, as amended at 56 FR 32973, July 18, 1991; 69 FR 66426, Nov. 15, 2004; 72 FR 66406, Nov. 27, 2007; 73 FR 2433, Jan. 15, 2008]