CFR

491.8—Staffing and staff responsibilities.

(a) Staffing. (1) The clinic or center has a health care staff that includes one or more physicians. Rural health clinic staffs must also include one or more physician's assistants or nurse practitioners.

(2) The physician member of the staff may be the owner of the rural health clinic, an employee of the clinic or center, or under agreement with the clinic or center to carry out the responsibilities required under this section.

(3) The physician assistant, nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, clinical social worker, or clinical psychologist member of the staff may be the owner or an employee of the clinic or center, or may furnish services under contract to the center.

(4) The staff may also include ancillary personnel who are supervised by the professional staff.

(5) The staff is sufficient to provide the services essential to the operation of the clinic or center.

(6) A physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, nurse-midwife, clinical social worker, or clinical psychologist is available to furnish patient care services at all times the clinic or center operates. In addition, for rural health clinics, a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant is available to furnish patient care services at least 60 percent of the time the clinic operates.

(b) Physician responsibilities. (1) The physician:

(i) Except for services furnished by a clinical psychologist in an FQHC, which State law permits to be provided without physician supervision, provides medical direction for the clinic's or center's health care activities and consultation for, and medical supervision of, the health care staff.

(ii) In conjunction with the physician's assistant and/or nurse practitioner member(s), participates in developing, executing, and periodically reviewing the clinic's or center's written policies and the services provided to Federal program patients; and

(iii) Periodically reviews the clinic's or center's patient records, provides medical orders, and provides medical care services to the patients of the clinic or center.

(2) A physician is present for sufficient periods of time, at least once in every 2 week period (except in extraordinary circumstances), to provide the medical direction, medical care services, consultation and supervision described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section and is available through direct telecommunication for consultation, assistance with medical emergencies, or patient referral. The extraordinary circumstances are documented in the records of the clinic or center.

(c) Physician assistant and nurse practitioner responsibilities. (1) The physician assistant and the nurse practitioner members of the clinic's or center's staff:

(i) Participate in the development, execution and periodic review of the written policies governing the services the clinic or center furnishes;

(ii) Participate with a physician in a periodic review of the patients' health records.

(2) The physician assistant or nurse practitioner performs the following functions, to the extent they are not being performed by a physician:

(i) Provides services in accordance with the clinic's or center's policies;

(ii) Arranges for, or refers patients to, needed services that cannot be provided at the clinic or center; and

(iii) Assures that adequate patient health records are maintained and transferred as required when patients are referred.

[57 FR 24983, June 12, 1992, as amended at 61 FR 14658, Apr. 3, 1996; 68 FR 74817, Dec. 24, 2003; 71 FR 55346, Sept. 22, 2006]

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