§ 239. Course work or training in infection control practices. (a) Every physician, physician assistant and specialist assistant practicing in the state shall, on or before July first, nineteen hundred ninety-four and every four years thereafter, complete course work or training, appropriate to the professional's practice, approved by the department regarding infection control, which shall include sepsis, and barrier precautions, including engineering and work practice controls, in accordance with regulatory standards promulgated by the department in consultation with the department of education, to prevent the transmission of HIV, HBV, HCV and infections that could lead to sepsis in the course of professional practice. Such coursework or training must also be completed by every medical student, medical resident and physician assistant student in the state as part of the orientation programs conducted by medical schools, medical residency programs and physician assistant programs.

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(b) Every physician, physician assistant, specialist assistant, medical student, medical resident and physician assistant student must provide to the department documentation demonstrating the completion of and competence in the coursework or training required under subdivision (a) of this section, provided however, that physicians subject to the provisions of paragraph (f) of subdivision one of section twenty-eight hundred five-k of this chapter shall not be required to provide such documentation to the department.

(c) The department shall provide an exemption from the requirements imposed by subdivision (a) of this section to anyone who requests such an exemption and who (i) clearly demonstrates to the department's satisfaction that there would be no need for him or her to complete such course work or training because of the nature of his or her practice or (ii) that he or she has completed course work or training deemed by the department to be equivalent to the standards for course work or training approved by the department pursuant to this section. An individual granted an exemption must reapply to continue such exemption every four years.

(d) The department shall consult with organizations representative of professions, institutions and those with expertise in infection control and HIV, HBV, and HCV with respect to the regulatory standards promulgated pursuant to this section. On or before September first, two thousand eight, and periodically thereafter as determined necessary by the commissioner, the department, including its patient safety center, in consultation with the council on graduate medical education, shall review and revise the content of the coursework or training in infection control practices as necessary to ensure that such content: (i) reflects the current infection control practices and standards accepted and promoted by the medical and scientific communities; (ii) focuses particular attention on instruction in standards of practice for which compliance is suboptimal based on the department's experience; and (iii) emphasizes the application of infection control standards and practices in outpatient and ambulatory settings.