Section 8.01. Authority and purpose.

 

(1)  The rules in this chapter are adopted by the medical examining board pursuant to authority in ss. 15.08 (5) , 227.11 , 448.04 (1) (f) and 448.40 , Stats., and govern the licensure and regulation of physician assistants.

(2)  Physician assistants provide health care services as part of physician-led teams, the objectives of which include safe, efficient, and economical health care. The realities of the modern practice of medicine and surgery require supervising physicians and physician assistants to use discretion in delivering health care services, typically at the level of general supervision. The constant physical presence of a supervising physician is often unnecessary. The supervising physician and the physician assistant are jointly responsible for employing more intensive supervision when circumstances require direct observation or hands-on assistance from the supervising physician.