Researcher: ND Page 1 5/1/24
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5196 (as amended by House "B")*
AN ACT EXPANDING THE PODIATRIC SCOPE OF PRACTICE.
SUMMARY
This bill expands the scope of practice of podiatric medicine to allow
podiatrists to independently perform Chopart joint-level (i.e., forefoot
and midfoot) amputations. To do so, a licensed podiatrist must provide
the Department of Public Health (DPH) documentation that they:
1. graduated from a podiatric residency program meeting specified
criteria and
2. hold current board certification or qualification in reconstructive
rearfoot ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle
Surgery, or its successor.
Under the bill, the residency program must have been accredited by
the Council on Podiatric Medical Education, or its successor, when the
podiatrist graduated. The program must have been at least (1) two years
in length if the person graduated before June 1, 2006, or (2) three years
for graduates on or after that date.
Current law already allows podiatrists who meet the above criteria
to independently perform certain ankle surgeries, including all soft
tissue and osseous procedures (e.g., fixing ankle factures, ankle fusions,
and ankle arthroscopy). They cannot perform total ankle replacements
(see below), tibial pilon fracture surgeries, or surgeries to treat
complications within the tibial diaphysis related to the use of external
fixation pins.
The bill also requires the Public Health Committee co-chairpersons to
convene a panel of two representatives each from an organization
representing podiatrists and an organization representing orthopedic
physicians in Connecticut. The panel must develop a protocol by
August 1, 2024, for allowing podiatrists who meet the criteria described 2024HB-05196-R010629-BA.DOCX
Researcher: ND Page 2 5/1/24
above to perform total ankle replacement surgeries.
Under the bill, the protocol must describe the experience, skill, and
training requirements to perform these surgeries and the procedure for
assessing whether a podiatrist meets the requirements. The panel must
report on the protocol to the Public Health Committee and the DPH
commissioner by September 1, 2024. The commissioner must then post
the protocol on the department’s website by October 1, 2024.
Starting October 1, 2024, the bill allows podiatrists who provide DPH
documentation that they meet the protocol’s requirements to apply to a
Connecticut hospital for privileges to perform total ankle replacement
surgeries. At a minimum, hospitals may use the protocol to determine
whether podiatrists meet the requirements needed to perform the
surgeries.
Under the bill, hospitals are not required to grant podiatrists
privileges to perform total ankle replacement surgeries, but podiatrists
who receive the privileges may do so.
*House Amendment “B” replaces the underlying bill (File 96) and (1)
specifies that podiatrists who meet certain criteria may perform Chopart
joint-level amputations and (2) adds the provision creating a process for
certain podiatrists to perform total ankle replacement surgeries.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2024, except the provision on total
ankle replacement surgeries is effective upon passage.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Health Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 36 Nay 1 (03/11/2024)