Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 37, § 1360.21. Legislative intent

A. Shortages of all skilled health personnel, particularly in rural and urban medically underserved areas and in the field of primary care medicine, new scientific and technological developments, and new methods of organizing health services have made the question of new uses for allied health personnel the critical issue to be resolved if our supply of health manpower is to be used effectively and productively. In its concern with the growing shortage and geographic maldistribution of health care services in Louisiana, the rising cost of health care services in the state and nationally, and the need for primary health care by thousands of Louisiana citizens, the legislature intends to modernize the laws governing physician assistant practice.

B. Physician assistants are health care professionals qualified by academic and clinical education and licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to provide health care services at the direction and under the supervision of a physician or a group of physicians approved by the board as a supervising physician.

C. It is the intent of this Part to permit the more effective utilization of the skills of physicians, particularly in the primary care setting, by enabling them to delegate medical services to qualified physician assistants when such delegation is consistent with the patient's health and welfare.

D. It is the intent of this Part to encourage and permit the utilization of physician assistants by physicians and assist in the development of the physician assistant profession and allow for innovative developments of programs for the education of physician assistants. It is also the purpose of this Part to provide for a system of licensing physician assistants and regulating their relationship with supervising physicians so that a high quality of service is assured.