West Virginia Code 30-3-5 – West Virginia Board of Medicine powers and duties continued; appointment and terms of members; vacancies; removal
The West Virginia Board of Medicine has assumed, carried on, and succeeded to all the duties, rights, powers, obligations, and liabilities heretofore belonging to or exercised by the Medical Licensing Board of West Virginia. All the rules, orders, rulings, licenses, certificates, permits, and other acts and undertakings of the Medical Licensing Board of West Virginia as heretofore constituted have continued as those of the West Virginia Board of Medicine until they expired or were amended, altered, or revoked. The board remains the sole authority for the issuance of licenses to practice medicine and surgery, to practice podiatry, and to practice as physician assistants in this state under the supervision of physicians licensed under this article. The board shall continue to be a regulatory and disciplinary body for the practice of medicine and surgery, the practice of podiatry, and for physician assistants in this state.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 30-3-5
- Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
- Board: means the West Virginia Board of Medicine established in section five of this article. See West Virginia Code 30-3-4
- Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
- Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
- Practice of medicine and surgery: means the diagnosis or treatment of, or operation or prescription for, any human disease, pain, injury, deformity or other physical or mental condition. See West Virginia Code 30-3-4
- Practice of podiatry: means the examination, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and care of conditions and functions of the human foot and ankle by medical, surgical and other scientific knowledge and methods. See West Virginia Code 30-3-4
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- State health officer: means the commissioner for the Bureau for Public Health or his or her designee, which officer or designee shall be a physician and shall act as secretary of the board and shall carry out any and all responsibilities assigned in this article to the secretary of the board. See West Virginia Code 30-3-4
- Surgery: includes the use on humans of lasers, ionizing radiation, pulsed light and radiofrequency devices. See West Virginia Code 30-3-4
The board shall consist of 15 members. One member shall be the state health officer ex officio, with the right to vote as a member of the board. The other 14 members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Eight of the members shall be appointed from among individuals holding the degree of doctor of medicine, and one shall hold the degree of doctor of podiatric medicine. Two members shall be physician assistants licensed by the board. Each of these members must be duly licensed to practice his or her profession in this state on the date of appointment and must have been licensed and actively practicing that profession for at least five years immediately preceding the date of appointment. Three lay members shall be appointed to represent health care consumers. Neither the lay members nor any person of the lay members’ immediate families shall be a provider of or be employed by a provider of health care services. The state health officer’s term shall continue for the period that he or she holds office as state health officer. Each other member of the board shall be appointed to serve a term of five years: Provided, That the members of the Board of Medicine holding appointments on the effective date of this section shall continue to serve as members of the Board of Medicine until the expiration of their term unless sooner removed. Each term shall begin on October 1 of the applicable year and a member may not be appointed to more than two consecutive full terms on the board.
A person is not eligible for membership on the board who is a member of any political party executive committee or, with the exception of the state health officer, who holds any public office or public employment under the federal government or under the government of this state or any political subdivision thereof.
In making appointments to the board, the Governor shall, so far as practicable, select the members from different geographical sections of the state. When a vacancy on the board occurs and less than one year remains in the unexpired term, the appointee shall be eligible to serve the remainder of the unexpired term and two consecutive full terms on the board.
No member may be removed from office by the Governor except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty, or gross immorality: Provided, That the expiration, surrender, or revocation of the professional license by the board of a member of the board shall cause the membership to immediately and automatically terminate.