Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed HB 238 into law, making Utah the 29th state to license, regulate, or recognize radiologist assistants (RAs) as members of the radiology healthcare team, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) said in a statement.
The statute took effect on March 18, 2011. It establishes licensure and continuing education requirements for radiologist assistants, defines their scope of practice, and amends the current membership of the state's Radiologic Technologist Licensing Board to include one licensed radiologist assistant.
The bill also allows for individuals certified by the Certification Board for Radiology Practitioner Assistants (CBRPA) to be licensed as radiologist assistants.
Radiologist assistants in Utah are granted the following duties under the new law:
- Assess and evaluate the physiological responsiveness of patients undergoing radiologic procedures
- Evaluate image quality, make initial observations, and communicate observations to supervising radiologists
- Administer contrast media or other medications prescribed by supervising radiologists
- Perform radiologic procedures under the indirect supervision of radiologists
