H1736 — An Act relative to determining capacity and invoking the health care proxy

Summary

An Act relative to determining capacity and invoking the health care proxy

Bill Text

• Full text Current

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill updates the terminology in Chapter 201D of the General Laws to include nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists as attending health care providers.

• Chapter 201D, Section 1

  “Attending physician” → ''Attending health care provider'', the physician, nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist selected by or assigned to a patient, who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient, in whatever setting medical diagnosis or treatment is rendered. Where more than one physician, nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist shares such responsibility, any such physician, nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist may act as the attending health care provider.

  Replaces the definition of 'Attending physician' with a more inclusive definition of 'Attending health care provider' to recognize other health care professionals.

• Chapter 201D, Section 5

  , nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist

  Adds 'nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist' to the definition of attending health care providers in the context of patient care.

• Chapter 201D, Section 6

  attending physician → attending health care provider

  Replaces instances of 'attending physician' with 'attending health care provider' to reflect the updated definition.

• Chapter 201D, Section 6

  , nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist

  Inserts 'nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist' after 'physician' to acknowledge additional types of providers.

• Chapter 201D, Section 7

  , nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist

  Inserts 'nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist' after 'physician' to expand the definition of attending health care providers.

• Chapter 201D, Section 7

  attending physician → attending health care provider

  Changes 'attending physician' to 'attending health care provider' to ensure terminology is consistent with the updated language.

• Chapter 201D, Section 13

  attending physician → attending health care provider

  Aligns terminology to replace 'attending physician' with 'attending health care provider'.

• Chapter 201D, Section 14

  , nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist

  Adds 'nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist' to sections referring to physicians, acknowledging their role in patient care.

Sponsors

• Danielle W. Gregoire · Primary

Subjects