Bill > H177

This bill amends Section 13 of Chapter 112 of the general laws to redefine "podiatry" as the diagnosis and treatment of ailments of the human foot and lower leg using medical, mechanical, electrical, and surgical methods. It clarifies that the scope of allowable surgical treatment within a healthcare facility will be determined by that facility's credential committee, and such procedures must be performed at that facility. The bill also specifies that this definition and subsequent sections do not apply to surgeons in the U.S. Army, Navy, or Public Health Service, nor to physicians already registered in the commonwealth, but importantly, it states that the terms "physician" and "surgeon" in certain other sections of the law will now include podiatrists acting within the defined limitations of their practice.