What's happening
This bill establishes a certification process allowing cardiovascular technologists, under physician supervision, to introduce contrast material during cardiovascular procedures in New York.
Why it matters
Expands workforce flexibility and efficiency. By certifying cardiovascular technologists to introduce contrast material under physician supervision, this bill frees up doctors and nurses to focus on more complex procedural tasks, potentially improving workflow and reducing bottlenecks during cardiovascular procedures.
Establishes rigorous training and oversight. The bill requires technologists to complete a state-approved training program, pass a competency exam, and maintain certification through ongoing practice or retesting, ensuring that only qualified individuals perform this sensitive task.
Promotes patient safety and standardization. Mandating physician presence in the room and defining strict program and instructor requirements helps safeguard patients, while also bringing consistency and accountability to how contrast material is administered by non-physician staff.
Could lower healthcare costs. By allowing technologists to handle tasks previously reserved for higher-paid professionals, hospitals may reduce overall procedural costs, potentially making cardiovascular care more cost-effective for both providers and patients.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Certify Cardiovascular Technologists
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
Full text
4 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7548
IN SENATE
January 23, 2018
Introduced by Sen. AMEDORE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a certificate authorizing cardiovascular technologists to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure while under the personal supervision of a physician
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 35-B to read as follows:
ARTICLE 35-B
CERTIFICATION IN THE INTRODUCTION
OF CONTRAST MATERIAL Section 3570. Declaration of policy and statement of purpose.
3571. Definitions.
3572. Certification required.
3573. Training program.
3574. Period of certification validity; recertification.
§ 3570. Declaration of policy and statement of purpose. Cardiovascular technologists provide valuable support to physicians and nurses in connection with cardiovascular procedures. With appropriate training and certification, a cardiovascular technologist, acting under the personal supervision of a physician during a cardiovascular procedure, can safely and effectively introduce contrast material into an arterial line that has already been placed into the patient by an appropriately licensed health care professional. By performing this task, a certified cardiovascular technologist can enable physicians and nurses in the procedure room to devote their efforts to tasks that demand their higher level of training and skills. Establishing a certificate to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure will promote both quality and cost-effectiveness in the delivery of cardiovascular services.
§ 3571. Definitions. As used in this article:
1. "Cardiovascular procedure" means a diagnostic examination or therapeutic intervention of the heart and blood vessels performed in a hospi-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14203-02-8
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tal, including invasive cardiology-cardiac catheterization, non-invasive cardiology, non-invasive peripheral vascular study and cardiac electrophysiology.
2. "Cardiovascular technologist" means a person who is authorized by a hospital to provide technical support services, excluding services within the scope of practice of a health care professional, in connection with a cardiovascular procedure. A hospital may use a different title (excluding a professional title) for the person whom it authorizes to perform such services.
3. "Certification in the introduction of contrast material" or "certification" means a certification issued pursuant to this article authorizing a cardiovascular technologist to introduce contrast material into an arterial line that has already been placed into the patient by an appropriately licensed health care professional, during a cardiovascular procedure under the personal supervision of a physician.
4. "Personal supervision" means the physician must be in attendance in the room during the performance of the procedure.
§ 3572. Certification required. 1. Except as otherwise authorized by law, only appropriately licensed health care professionals and persons certified pursuant to this article shall be authorized to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure.
2. A person certified pursuant to this article shall be authorized to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure only while under the personal supervision of a physician.
3. The department shall issue a certificate to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure to an individual who is approved by the department. Such individual shall:
(a) demonstrate the satisfactory completion of a training program described in section thirty-five hundred seventy-three of this article, or meet the alternative standard provided in such section;
(b) demonstrate competency by the examination described in section thirty-five hundred seventy-three of this article;
(c) successfully complete basic life support training;
(d) pay a biennial certification fee of twenty dollars; and
(e) meet such other criteria as may be established by the commissioner in regulation.
§ 3573. Training program. 1. A training program on the introduction of contrast materials into an arterial line during a cardiovascular procedure may be offered by a hospital or by an educational institution approved by the education department or other recognized accrediting body.
2. Such training program shall:
(a) have a training program coordinator who is assigned the administrative responsibility and accountability for the training program. The program coordinator shall be a physician, nurse, physician assistant or nurse practitioner with at least two years of experience that routinely included the introduction of contrast materials during cardiovascular procedures;
(b) provide training by one or more instructors each of whom is a physician, nurse, physician assistant or nurse practitioner with at least two years of routine experience in the introduction of contrast materials during cardiovascular procedures;
(c) establish curriculum and course requirements, including required hours of classroom or on-line instruction and required hours of clinical training, approved by the department;
(d) be approved by:
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(i) the department, in the case of a training program operated by a hospital;
(ii) the education department in the case of a training program operated by an educational institution approved by the education department; or
(iii) the accrediting body of another state or federal authorities, including the military, in the case of a training program operated by an educational institution or federal agency, including the military; and
(e) notify the department of any substantive change in the nature of the approved program or its curriculum and course requirements.
3. The department or the education department, whichever shall be the approving authority for the program, may inspect a training program at any time.
4. The department or the education department, whichever shall be the approving authority for the program, may withdraw its approval of a training program for up to two years each time the hospital or educational institution:
(a) fails to permit unannounced visits;
(b) fails to meet all of the requirements of this section;
(c) is subjected to an extended or partial extended survey;
(d) is assessed a civil monetary penalty of five thousand dollars or more;
(e) has a temporary manager, receiver or caretaker appointed; or
(f) is subjected to a ban on admissions or a denial of payment under either the title XVIII or title XIX programs.
5. (a) The department shall develop competency examinations in the introduction of contrast materials, and shall appoint one or more examiners to administer such examinations.
(b) An examiner shall be a physician, nurse, physician assistant or nurse practitioner with at least two years of routine experience in the introduction of contrast materials during a cardiovascular procedure, and shall not be a training program coordinator or instructor.
(c) Eligibility to take the competency examination is limited to a person who:
(i) has completed the training program described in this section, provided such person takes the competency examination within one year of completing such program; or
(ii) was employed by a hospital as a cardiovascular technologist for at least two years prior to the effective date of this article, provided such person takes the competency examination within one year of the effective date of this article.
(d) The department, or any entity with which the department contracts, may charge a fee for administering the examination. Such fee shall be set by the department, and shall be reasonably related to recovering the department's costs, and be adjusted from time to time.
6. A certification pursuant to this article may be suspended for a fixed period, revoked or annulled, or the certificate holder censured, reprimanded, subject to a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand dollars for every such violation, or otherwise disciplined, in accordance with the provisions and procedures set forth in section thirty-five hundred ten of this chapter.
§ 3574. Period of certification validity; recertification. A certification pursuant to this article shall be valid for two years. To obtain recertification an individual shall either (1) demonstrate in the form indicated by the department that he or she has worked at least one thousand hours for compensation as a cardiovascular technologist during the
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previous two year period, and that such work routinely included the introduction of contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure; or (2) demonstrate competency as provided in section thirty-five hundred seventy-three of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Provided that, effective immediately, any actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a certificate authorizing cardiovascular technologists to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure while under the personal supervision of a physician
Purpose
To authorize the department of health to issue a certificate to intro- duce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure under the personal supervision of a physician, to create standards and procedures for the issuance of such certificate, and to require that only appropri- ately licensed health care professionals and persons certified under this article are permitted to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 creates Public Health Law Article 35-B Certificate to Intro- duce Contrast Material During a Cardiovascular Procedure. Article 35-B consists of §§ 3570 - 3574.
Read the full memo (972 words)
§ 3570 is a declaration of policy and statement of purpose. It notes in part that "(e)stablishing a certificate to introduce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure will promote both quality and cost-ef- fectiveness in the delivery of cardiovascular services."
§ 3571 includes definitions of the terms "cardiovascular procedure," "cardiovascular technologist," "certification in the introduction of contrast material," and "personal supervision."
§ 3572 provides that only appropriately licensed health care profes- sionals and persons certified under this article are permitted to intro- duce contrast material during a cardiovascular procedure, and that such person may only introduce contrast material under the personal super- vision of a physician.
The section also sets forth standards an individual must meet to be issued a certificate. Those standards include completion of a training program, and demonstration of competency by examination.
§ 3573 relates to the training program and competency examination. It provides that a training program may be offered either by a hospital or by an educational institution approved by the State Education Depart- ment. It then sets forth training program standards, authorizes inspections, and authorizes the withdrawal or approval under specified circumstances.
The section also sets forth eligibility for and standards for competency examinations. Eligibility is limited to a person who either completed the training program or "who was employed by a hospital as a cardiovas- cular technologist for at least 2 years prior to the effective date of this article, provided such person takes the competency examination within one year of the effective date of this article."
Finally, the section authorizes the department to charge a fee for taking the examination. § 3574 states that a certificate is valid for two years and addresses the process for recertification.
Section 2 provides that the Act shall take effect on the first of Janu- ary next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law. Provided that any actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such date.
Justification
Contrast materials are used to improve images produced by x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and ultra- sound. They are introduced into a patient's artery by inserting a syringe with the contrast material into a line placed by the physician. When introduced in this manner during a cardiovascular procedure, the contrast material allows the physician to locate and visualize the targeted sites in real time. These contrast materials are safe drugs; mild adverse reactions can occur but are uncommon and treatable.
Cardiovascular technologists (CVTs) provide non-professional technical support services in connection with cardiac catheterizations and inter- ventions. Their tasks include patient preparation, aiding physicians, hemodynamic monitoring, and vascular access site management. While CVTs may possess a certification in their field from a college program, there is no license or certification requirement to be a CVT; rather, hospi- tals must ensure that CVTs have the knowledge, training and competency to perform these tasks, just as hospitals must do for their other nonprofessional staff.
In New York, CVTs are not permitted to administer contrast materials. The NYS Nurse Practice Act defines the scope of nursing practice and prohibits others who do not have a nursing license or other relevant license from engaging in the practice of nursing. In 2006, the Office of the Professions of the NYS State Education Department issued a "Practice Alert and Guidelines" that warned against the administration of medica- tions by unlicensed persons. This prohibition would include the intro- duction of contrast materials by CVTs. Based on this ruling, the Depart- ment of Health has taken action against hospitals that have permitted CVTs to introduce contrast materials.
This bill addresses the valid concerns that have impeded the utility of CVTs in cardiovascular procedures:
*It authorizes and sets standards for training programs in the introduc- tion of contrast materials during a cardiovascular procedure; *It requires successful performance on a state-approved competency exam- ination as a condition of certification; *A CVT that obtains a certification in the introduction of contrast material may perform that function only under the personal supervision of a physician. That means that the physician "must be in attendance in the room during the performance of the procedure." In fact, during a cardiovascular procedure there is optimal oversight - a physician, nurse, and other health care professionals are present and monitoring the procedure. It is a highly controlled environment.
This proposal is similar in part to:
*PHL § 3502.4, which empowers the department of health to issue a certificate to radiologic technologist "to inject intravenous contrast media" into a patient, after training and competency testing; and *Ed. Law § 6908, which allows "advanced home health aides" to administer certain medications to and inject insulin into patents, under direct supervision of a nurse.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Costs to the department for administering the certification program are to be covered by examination and licensing fees.
Effective date
January first next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.