As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
(1) “Accredited educational program” means a program that is approved by a national organization acceptable to the board to provide education in medical imaging or radiation therapy;
(2) “Actively employed” means an individual who is appropriately credentialed and currently employed as an advanced imaging professional, medical imaging technologist, radiation therapist, an educator or administrator in any of these disciplines, or a limited X-ray machine operator;
(3) “Advanced imaging professional” means an individual who is credentialed by a nationally recognized certification organization that is recognized by the board;
(4) “Authorized user” means a physician, dentist, or podiatrist identified on a radioactive materials license that authorizes the medical use of radioactive materials if the license was issued by:
(a) The Cabinet for Health and Family Services;
(b) The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission; or
(c) Another United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission agreement state; (5) “Board” means the Kentucky Board of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy;
(6) “Credentialed” means someone who is certified and registered by an appropriate national organization that is recognized by the board;
(7) “Continuing education” means a learning activity that is planned, organized, and administered to enhance the professional knowledge and skills of a licensed individual of medical imaging or radiation therapy to provide services for patients, the public, or the medical profession;
(8) “Licensed practitioner” or “licensed practitioner of the healing arts” means a person licensed in Kentucky to practice medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, chiropractic, podiatry, or veterinary medicine;
(9) “Limited X-ray machine operator” means an individual who performs limited radiographic procedures in facilities where contrast studies, fluoroscopic, nuclear medicine, or radiation therapy procedures are not performed;
(10) “Medical imaging technologist” means an individual who has completed an accredited educational program in radiography, nuclear medicine, or other imaging modality recognized by the board and who is licensed and granted privileges under this chapter. Only an individual licensed as a medical imaging technologist shall be employed to perform medical imaging at a facility where contrast studies, fluoroscopic, nuclear medicine, or radiation therapy procedures are performed;
(11) “National organization” means:
(a) The American Society of Radiologic Technologists;
(b) The Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board; (c) The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists;
(d) The Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologist Section;
(e) The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology;
(f) The Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine
Technology;
(g) The American College of Radiology; or
(h) Another national organization recognized by the board;
(12) “Nuclear medicine technologist” means an individual who is authorized to prepare and administer radiopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and radionuclides under the direction of an authorized user to perform nuclear medicine procedures for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes;
(13) “Post-primary certification” means an individual who has primary certification and has been awarded post-primary certification by a national organization that has been recognized by the board;
(14) “Primary certification” means an individual who has successfully completed a formal educational program and certification in radiography, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, or other modality recognized by the board;
(15) “Radiation therapist” means an individual who:
(a) Has completed an accredited educational program in radiation therapy; (b) Is licensed by the board; and
(c) Is authorized to utilize ionizing radiation-generating equipment and sources of radiation for the planning, localization, and delivery of therapeutic procedures on human beings; and
(16) “Radiographer” means an individual who is authorized to use ionizing radiation- generating equipment to perform a comprehensive scope of diagnostic imaging procedures and is responsible for the operation of radiation-generating equipment, protecting the patient and staff from unnecessary radiation, and selecting the appropriate exposure to produce diagnostic images with the lowest reasonable exposure.
Effective: July 12, 2012
History: Created 2012 Ky. Acts ch. 50, sec. 2, effective July 12, 2012.