SB 2115 Summary

• Increases North Dakota Board of Medicine from 13 to 14 members, adding one additional physician assistant member for a total of two physician assistants on the board.

• Requires resident physicians to obtain an active North Dakota residency license and establishes "uniquely qualified license" allowing the board to license physicians who don't meet all technical requirements but possess exceptional training or experience.

• Modifies physician assistant scope of practice, collaboration requirements, and title protections; reduces collaborative agreement requirement from four thousand hours of practice to less than four thousand hours.

• Creates new record retention requirements mandating licensees retain medical records for seven years from last date of service and establishes guidelines for medical record transfers during practice transitions.

• Changes terminology throughout from "physician" to "licensee" in disciplinary and investigative provisions to apply requirements uniformly to physicians and physician assistants; repeals sections 43-17-21 and 43-17-30.