64B8-31.007. Anesthesiologist Assistant Licensure Renewal and Reactivation

(1) An anesthesiologist assistant must renew his licensure on a biennial basis. Upon request by the Board or Department, the licensee must submit satisfactory documentation of compliance with the requirements set forth below.

(2) Requirements for Renewal.

(a) Completion of the anesthesiologist assistant licensure renewal application on the appropriate form provided by the Department.

(b) Submission of a signed, sworn statement of no felony convictions in the previous two years.

(c) Submission of a written statement attesting to completion of 40 hours of Continuing Medical Education in the previous two years, or provide documentation of current certification issued by the NCCAA.

(d) As part of every third biennial renewal licensure period, all licensees shall complete two (2) hours of training in domestic violence which includes information on the number of patients in that professional’s practice who are likely to be victims of domestic violence and the number who are likely to be perpetrators of domestic violence, screening procedures for determining whether a patient has any history of being either a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence, and instruction on how to provide such patients with information on, or how to refer such patients to, resources in the local community, such as domestic violence centers and other advocacy groups, that provide legal aid, shelter, victim counseling, batterer counseling, or child protection services, and which is approved by any state or federal government agency, or nationally affiliated professional association, or any provider of Category I or II American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education. Home study courses approved by the above agencies will be acceptable.

(e) Upon a licensee’s first renewal of licensure, the licensee must document the completion of one hour of Category I American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education, which includes the topics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; the modes of transmission, including transmission from healthcare worker to patient and patient to healthcare worker; infection control procedures, including universal precautions; epidemiology of the disease; related infections including TB; clinical management; prevention; and current Florida law on AIDS and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results, and treatment of patients. Any hours of said CME may also be counted toward the CME license renewal requirement. In order for a course to count as meeting this requirement, licensees practicing in Florida must clearly demonstrate that the course includes Florida law on HIV/AIDS and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results, and treatment of patients. Only Category I hours shall be accepted.

(f) Completion of two hours of continuing medical education relating to prevention of medical errors which includes a study of root cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety, and which is approved by any state or federal government agency, or nationally affiliated professional association, or any provider of Category I or II American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education. One hour of a two hour course which is provided by a facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 395, F.S., for its employees may be used to partially meet this requirement.

(3) Reactivation of Inactive License. To reactivate an inactive license, the licensee must:

(a) Submit to the Department the original inactive license;

(b) Provide the Department with licensure verification from each state in which the licensee is licensed to practice as an anesthesiologist assistant, or a statement that the licensee is licensed only in Florida;

(c) Provide to the Department a statement of medical activities from the date the licensee became inactive to the present; or, if the licensee has not practiced as an anesthesiologist assistant for at least 2 of the 4 years preceding application for reactivation, the licensee must either:

1. Demonstrate completion of the Nova Southeastern University Anesthesia Competency Assessment or an equivalent anesthesia assessment program approved by the Board; or

2. Re-take and successfully complete the NCCAA certification examination.

(d) Submit to the Department a statement of any criminal or disciplinary actions pending in any jurisdiction;

(e) Submit proof of completion of 40 hours of continuing medical education for each biennium in which the licensee was inactive;

(f) Submit proof of completion of the continuing medical education requirements in compliance with paragraphs 64B8-31.007(2)(d), (e), and (f), F.A.C.;

(g) Submit the protocol as set forth in Rule 64B8-31.005, F.A.C.;

(h) Demonstrate financial responsibility as set forth in Rule 64B8-31.006, F.A.C.; and

(i) Pay the appropriate fees, as set forth in Rule 64B8-31.012, F.A.C.

(4) Licensure Renewal or Reactivation.

(a) Application for renewal as a licensed anesthesiologist assistant must be made upon a form supplied by the Department, and incorporated in Rule 64B8-1.007, F.A.C.

(b) Renewal application forms submitted to the Board must be complete in every detail and must be typed or legibly printed in black ink.

(c) Application for reactivation shall be made in writing and in accordance with Section 456.036, F.S.

(5) The renewal and reactivation fees are found in Rule 64B8-31.012, F.A.C.

(6) The failure of any license holder to either renew the license or elect inactive status before the license expires shall cause the license to become delinquent.

(a) The delinquent status licensee must affirmatively apply for active or inactive status during the licensure cycle in which the license becomes delinquent. The failure by the delinquent status licensee to cause the license to be reactivated or made inactive before the expiration of the licensure cycle in which the license became delinquent shall render the license null and void without further action by the Board or the Department.

(b) The delinquent status licensee who applies for license reactivation or inactive status shall:

1. File with the Department the completed application for inactive status as required by Section 456.036, F.S., or apply for licensure reactivation as required by Section 456.036, F.S.;

2. Pay to the Board either the license reactivation fee or the inactive status fee, the delinquency fee, and if applicable, the processing fee; and

3. If reactivation is elected, demonstrate compliance with the continuing education requirements found in Rule 64B8-31.007, F.A.C.

(7) Licensees who are spouses of members of the Armed Forces of the United States shall be exempt from all licensure renewal provisions for any period of time which the licensee is absent from the State of Florida due to the spouse’s duties with the Armed Forces. The licensee must document the absence and the spouse’s military status to the Board in order to obtain the exemption. Upon the licensee’s return to Florida, the licensee must inform the Department of his or her return within 30 days.

(8) Reactivation of a retired status license. To reactivate the license of a retired status licensee whose license has been on retired status for more than five (5) years or a licensee from another state who has not been in the active practice of medicine within the past five (5) years shall be required to appear before the Board and establish the ability to practice with the care and skill sufficient to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. At the time of such appearance, the anesthesiologist assistant must:

(a) Surrender to the Department the original retired status license;

(b) Provide the Department with licensure verification from each state in which the licensee is licensed to practice as an anesthesiologist assistant, or a statement that the licensee is licensed only in Florida;

(c) Provide to the Department a statement of medical activities from the date the licensee entered retired status to the present;

(d) Provide documentation of successful completion of the 16 credit hour Graduate Clerkship offered by Nova Southeastern University Anesthesia Assistant Program or an equivalent program approved by the Board;

(e) Submit proof of completion of 40 hours of continuing medical education for each biennium in which the licensee was inactive;

(f) Submit proof of completion of the continuing medical education requirements in compliance with paragraphs 64B8-31.007(2)(d)-(f), F.A.C.; and

(g) Pay the appropriate fees set forth in Section 456.036(4)(b), F.S. and subsection 64B8-31.012(4) and (8), F.A.C.

(h) In lieu of proof of completion of the Graduate Clerkship or the equivalent, the licensee may submit proof of recertification by NCCAA.

(9) The Department shall refuse to reactivate the license of a retired status anesthesiologist assistant who is under investigation or prosecution in any jurisdiction for an action that would constitute a violation of this chapter or the professional practice acts administered by the department and the boards, until 15 days after the Department receives the final results of the investigation or prosecution.

Specific Authority 456.013, 456.031(1)(a), 458.309, 458.3475 FS. Law Implemented 456.013, 456.031(1), 456.033, 456.036, 458.3475 FS. History–New 6-27-06, Amended 6-7-07.