Article archive / August 1, 2012
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 12. Source pages: 6.
Some healthcare professionals will have to make clear to patients that they are not physicians, starting today.
According to the legislative digest for Act 772, the new law “provides that no healthcare provider, while providing direct patient care, shall present himself, whether orally or in writing, to a patient using the title of ‘Doctor’ or the abbreviation of ‘Dr.’ as a prefix to his name without using a sufficient suffix to denote either the type of professional license held by the healthcare provider or the degree to which he is entitled by reason of his diploma of graduation from a school or other entity, professional or otherwise.”
New law defines "healthcare provider" as a “person, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation licensed or certified in this state to provide healthcare or professional services as a registered or licensed practical nurse, certified registered nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, licensed midwife, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, certified athletic trainer, or physician assistant.”
The law provides an exception in that it does not apply to physicians as defined by Medicare “pursuant to 42 USC 1395x(r).”
The US codes for “(r) Physician,” indicates that the term “physician” means a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, a doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine, a doctor of podiatric medicine, and under some conditions a doctor of optometry, a chiropractor.
While this law seems not to apply to psychologists and other PhDs or PsyDs, or EdDs, it is not clear how it might be applied in a given situation.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.