Terms Used In Arizona Laws > Title 32 > Chapter 25 - Physician Assistants

• Active license: means a regular license issued pursuant to this chapter. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Adequate records: means legible medical records containing, at a minimum, sufficient information to identify the patient, support the diagnosis, justify the treatment, accurately document the results, indicate advice and cautionary warnings provided to the patient and provide sufficient information for another practitioner to assume continuity of the patient's care at any point in the course of treatment. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Advisory letter: means a nondisciplinary letter to notify a physician assistant that either:

  (a) While there is insufficient evidence to support disciplinary action, the board believes that continuation of the activities that led to the investigation may result in further board action against the licensee. See Arizona Laws 32-2501

• Board: means the Arizona regulatory board of physician assistants. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Collaborating physician or entity: means a physician, physician group practice, physician private practice or licensed health care institution that employs or collaborates with a physician assistant who has at least eight thousand hours of clinical practice as certified by the board pursuant to section 32-2536 and does not require a supervision agreement and that designates one or more physicians by name or position who is responsible for the oversight of the physician assistant. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Completed application: means an application for which the applicant has supplied all required fees, information and correspondence requested by the board on forms and in a manner acceptable to the board. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• employer: means a physician, physician group practice, physician private practice or licensed health care institution. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Immediate family: means the spouse, natural or adopted children, father, mother, brothers and sisters of the physician assistant and the natural or adopted children, father, mother, brothers and sisters of the physician assistant's spouse. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Letter of reprimand: means a disciplinary letter that is issued by the board and that informs the physician assistant that the physician assistant's conduct violates state or federal law and may require the board to monitor the physician assistant. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Limit: means a nondisciplinary action that is taken by the board and that alters a physician assistant's practice or medical activities if there is evidence that the physician assistant is or may be mentally or physically unable to safely engage in health care tasks. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Medically incompetent: means that a physician assistant lacks sufficient medical knowledge or skills, or both, in performing delegated health care tasks to a degree likely to endanger the health or safety of patients. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• medication-assisted treatment: means the use of pharmacological medications that are approved by the United States food and drug administration, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole patient approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. See Arizona Laws 32-3201.01
• Minor: means a person under eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Moral turpitude: means an offense, whether a misdemeanor or felony, that is related to extortion, burglary, larceny, bribery, embezzlement, robbery, racketeering, money laundering, forgery, fraud, murder, voluntary manslaughter or a sexual offense that requires the individual to register pursuant to section 13-3821. See Arizona Laws 1-215
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Petty offense: A federal misdemeanor punishable by six months or less in prison. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Physician: means a physician who is licensed pursuant to chapter 13 or 17 of this title. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Physician assistant: means a person who is licensed pursuant to this chapter. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Regular license: means a valid and existing license that is issued pursuant to section 32-2521 to perform health care tasks. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Restrict: means a disciplinary action that is taken by the board and that alters a physician assistant's practice or medical activities if there is evidence that the physician assistant is or may be medically incompetent or guilty of unprofessional conduct. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• sexual conduct: includes :

  (i) Engaging in or soliciting sexual relationships, whether consensual or nonconsensual. See Arizona Laws 32-2501

• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Supervising physician: means a physician who holds a current unrestricted license, who supervises a physician assistant who has less than eight thousand hours of clinical practice and who assumes legal responsibility for health care tasks performed by the physician assistant. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Supervision: means a physician's opportunity or ability to provide or exercise direction and control over the services of a physician assistant. See Arizona Laws 32-2501
• Supervision agreement: means a written or electronic signed agreement that both:

  (a) Describes the scope of practice for a physician assistant who has less than eight thousand hours of clinical practice. See Arizona Laws 32-2501

• Unprofessional conduct: includes the following acts by a physician assistant that occur in this state or elsewhere:

  (a) Violating any federal or state law or rule that applies to the performance of health care tasks as a physician assistant. See Arizona Laws 32-2501