HB 649

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to podiatric medicine; amending s.
3	461.003, F.S.; redefining the term "practice of podiatric
4	medicine"; creating s. 461.0145, F.S.; prohibiting a
5	licensed podiatric physician from performing ankle surgery
6	unless he or she meets certain requirements for education
7	and training; providing a period during which a licensed
8	podiatric physician must meet the eligibility requirements
9	in order to perform ankle surgery; providing accreditation
10	requirements for the hospital or ambulatory surgical
11	center at which ankle surgery is performed; authorizing a
12	licensed podiatric physician to perform nonsurgical care
13	without meeting certain requirements; prohibiting a
14	licensed podiatric physician from performing surgery on
15	certain fractures; providing an effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  Subsection (5) of section 461.003, Florida
20	Statutes, is amended to read:
21	461.003  Definitions.--As used in this chapter:
22	(5)  "Practice of podiatric medicine" means the diagnosis
23	or medical, surgical, palliative, and mechanical treatment of
24	ailments of the human foot and leg,. The surgical treatment of
25	ailments of the human foot and leg shall be limited anatomically
26	to that part below the anterior tibial tubercle. The practice of
27	podiatric medicine includes shall include the amputation of the
28	toes or other parts of the foot but does shall not include the
29	amputation of the foot or leg in its entirety. A podiatric
30	physician may prescribe drugs that relate specifically to the
31	scope of practice authorized herein.
32	Section 2.  Section 461.0145, Florida Statutes, is created
33	to read:
34	461.0145  Surgery.--
35	(1)  A licensed podiatric physician may not perform ankle
36	surgery unless the podiatric physician meets one of the
37	following requirements:
38	(a)  On or before October 2, 1995, the licensed podiatric
39	physician was credentialed to perform ankle surgery by a
40	hospital or ambulatory surgical center that was accredited by
41	the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
42	Organizations. Such podiatric physician shall:
43	1.  Notify the board as to the hospital or ambulatory
44	surgical center at which he or she was credentialed to perform
45	ankle surgery on or before October 2, 1995;
46	2.  Complete, and maintain evidence of completing, at least
47	10 hours of board-approved continuing education related to ankle
48	surgery annually; and
49	3.  Comply with any other requirements established by the
50	board to ensure continued proficiency in performing ankle
51	surgery; or
52	(b)  The licensed podiatric physician has completed a
53	surgical residency program of at least 36 months in length which
54	has been approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education
55	and is currently eligible for certification to perform
56	reconstructive rearfoot or ankle surgery by the American Board
57	of Podiatric Surgery. A podiatric physician who qualifies to
58	perform ankle surgery under this paragraph shall obtain
59	certification to perform reconstructive rearfoot or ankle
60	surgery from the American Board of Podiatric Surgery by July 1,
61	2014, or within 6 years after first becoming eligible for
62	certification, whichever date is later. A licensed podiatric
63	physician may not continue to perform ankle surgery if he or she
64	has not obtained certification by the end of the 6-year period.
65	(2)  A licensed podiatric physician may perform ankle
66	surgery only in a hospital or ambulatory surgical center that is
67	accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
68	Healthcare Organizations at which the podiatric physician has
69	surgical privileges to perform ankle surgery. A podiatric
70	physician who performs ankle surgery in an ambulatory surgical
71	center must first have surgical privileges to perform ankle
72	surgery at a local hospital. A licensed podiatric physician who
73	performs ankle surgery must meet the same standard of care
74	applicable to an orthopedic surgeon who performs ankle surgery.
75	(3)  A licensed podiatric physician may perform nonsurgical
76	care without meeting the requirements of subsection (1). A
77	licensed podiatric physician may also perform Achilles tendon
78	repair, subject to subsection (1), but may not perform surgery
79	on Pilon fractures or tibial fractures that do not enter the
80	ankle joint.
81	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.