O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 24-112—sHB 5196
Public Health Committee
AN ACT EXPANDING THE PODIATRIC SCOPE OF PRACTICE
SUMMARY: This act 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 act, 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.
Existing 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 act 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 above to perform total ankle replacement surgeries.
Under the act, 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 act 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 act, hospitals are not required to grant podiatrists privileges to
perform total ankle replacement surgeries, but podiatrists who receive the
privileges may do so.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2024, except the provision on total ankle O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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replacement surgeries is effective upon passage.