Pending Florida Bill Will Expand the Eligibility for Clinic Medical Directors

Under Florida law, healthcare clinics are required to appoint a medical or clinic director who is responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the clinic. Presently, only individuals who hold an active and unencumbered Florida physician's license are eligible to serve as a medical director for a clinic. Currently, if a clinic does not provide physician services, it may appoint a non-physician to serve as the clinic director as long as the clinic does not provide services beyond the scope of that practitioner's license. However, the bill would redefine the term "medical director" to include advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) and physician assistants (PAs) who maintain a full and unencumbered Florida licenses. Presumably, an ARNP or a PA could serve as the medical director of a clinic that provides physician services. 

The bill would also authorize ARNPs and PAs to sign, certify, stamp, verify or endorse a document that is required by law to have the signature, certification, stamp, verification or endorsement of a physician. The bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute on Feb. 23, 2017 by the House Health Quality Subcommittee.