225 ILCS 95/4

(225 ILCS 95/4) (from Ch. 111, par. 4604)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 4. Definitions. In this Act:

1. "Department" means the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

2. "Secretary" means the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation.

3. "Physician assistant" means any person not holding an active license or permit issued by the Department pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987 who has been certified as a physician assistant by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants or equivalent successor agency and performs procedures in collaboration with a physician as defined in this Act. A physician assistant may perform such procedures within the specialty of the collaborating physician, except that such physician shall exercise such direction, collaboration, and control over such physician assistants as will assure that patients shall receive quality medical care. Physician assistants shall be capable of performing a variety of tasks within the specialty of medical care in collaboration with a physician. Collaboration with the physician assistant shall not be construed to necessarily require the personal presence of the collaborating physician at all times at the place where services are rendered, as long as there is communication available for consultation by radio, telephone or telecommunications within established guidelines as determined by the physician/physician assistant team. The collaborating physician may delegate tasks and duties to the physician assistant. Delegated tasks or duties shall be consistent with physician assistant education, training, and experience. The delegated tasks or duties shall be specific to the practice setting and shall be implemented and reviewed under a written collaborative agreement established by the physician or physician/physician assistant team. A physician assistant, acting as an agent of the physician, shall be permitted to transmit the collaborating physician's orders as determined by the institution's by-laws, policies, procedures, or job description within which the physician/physician assistant team practices. Physician assistants shall practice only in accordance with a written collaborative agreement.

Any person who holds an active license or permit issued pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987 shall have that license automatically placed into inactive status upon issuance of a physician assistant license. Any person who holds an active license as a physician assistant who is issued a license or permit pursuant to the Medical Practice Act of 1987 shall have his or her physician assistant license automatically placed into inactive status.

3.5. "Physician assistant practice" means the performance of procedures within the specialty of the collaborating physician. Physician assistants shall be capable of performing a variety of tasks within the specialty of medical care of the collaborating physician. Collaboration with the physician assistant shall not be construed to necessarily require the personal presence of the collaborating physician at all times at the place where services are rendered, as long as there is communication available for consultation by radio, telephone, telecommunications, or electronic communications. The collaborating physician may delegate tasks and duties to the physician assistant. Delegated tasks or duties shall be consistent with physician assistant education, training, and experience. The delegated tasks or duties shall be specific to the practice setting and shall be implemented and reviewed under a written collaborative agreement established by the physician or physician/physician assistant team. A physician assistant shall be permitted to transmit the collaborating physician's orders as determined by the institution's bylaws, policies, or procedures or the job description within which the physician/physician assistant team practices. Physician assistants shall practice only in accordance with a written collaborative agreement, except as provided in Section 7.5 of this Act.

4. "Board" means the Medical Licensing Board constituted under the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

5. (Blank).

6. "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches under the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

7. "Collaborating physician" means the physician who, within his or her specialty and expertise, may delegate a variety of tasks and procedures to the physician assistant. Such tasks and procedures shall be delegated in accordance with a written collaborative agreement.

8. (Blank).

9. "Address of record" means the designated address recorded by the Department in the applicant's or licensee's application file or license file maintained by the Department's licensure maintenance unit.

10. "Hospital affiliate" means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, or similar organization, other than a hospital, that is devoted primarily to the provision, management, or support of health care services and that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control of the hospital. For the purposes of this definition, "control" means having at least an equal or a majority ownership or membership interest. A hospital affiliate shall be 100% owned or controlled by any combination of hospitals, their parent corporations, or physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in Illinois. "Hospital affiliate" does not include a health maintenance organization regulated under the Health Maintenance Organization Act.

11. "Email address of record" means the designated email address recorded by the Department in the applicant's application file or the licensee's license file, as maintained by the Department's licensure maintenance unit.

12. "Federally qualified health center" means a health center funded under Section 330 of the federal Public Health Service Act.

(Source: P.A. 102-1117, eff. 1-13-23; 103-65, eff. 1-1-24.)