Section 1264 Of Article 1. General From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
1264
. (a) Any health facility licensed under Section 1250 that
provides prenatal screening ultrasound to detect congenital heart
defects shall require that the ultrasound be performed by a
sonographer who is nationally certified in obstetrical ultrasound by
the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS),
nationally certified in cardiac sonography by Cardiovascular
Credentialing International (CCI), or credentialed in sonography by
the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).
(b) For purposes of this section, the following shall apply:
(1) A sonographer is also known as an "ultrasound technologist" or
"sonologist."
(2) "Sonographer" means any nonphysician who is qualified by
national certification or academic or clinical experience to perform
diagnostic medical ultrasound, with a subspecialty in obstetrical
ultrasound.
(c) (1) Any sonographer who is certified as required in
subdivision (a) or otherwise meets the requirements of this section,
shall, in performing a prenatal ultrasound to detect congenital heart
defects, perform the work under the supervision of a licensed
physician and surgeon.
(2) For purposes of this section, licensed physician and surgeon
means any physician and surgeon, licensed pursuant to Chapter 5
(commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and
Professions Code.
(d) Any person with a minimum of two years of full-time work
experience in this state as a sonographer in prenatal ultrasound and
has obtained, or is in the process of obtaining, 30 continuing
medical education credits over a three-year period in ultrasound
shall be deemed to be in compliance with the requirements of this
section.
(e) A health facility shall develop policies and procedures to
implement the requirements of this section.
(f) This section and policies and procedures adopted pursuant to
this section shall not prohibit any physician and surgeon licensed
pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of
the Business and Professions Code from performing a prenatal
ultrasound nor in any other way limit the ability of a licensed
physician and surgeon to practice medicine in a manner consistent
with that license.
(g) This section and policies and procedures adopted pursuant to
this section shall not apply to any physician and surgeon,
sonologist, certified nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner who
performs limited prenatal ultrasounds for the purpose of obtaining an
amniotic fluid index, fetal position, a biophysical profile or
dating a pregnancy prior to 20 weeks gestation.
(h) Article 4 (commencing with Section 1235) and any other
provision relating to criminal sanctions for violations of this
chapter shall not apply to any person who violates this section or
any regulation adopted pursuant to this section.
(i) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2006.