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To all AAPA members in New York,
Two separate bills that affect Pathologists’ Assistants have been passed in the New York Legislature this summer. We urge our members to contact the Governor’s Office regarding one of these two bills.
The most recent bill that just passed extends the time during which laboratory personnel may work under a limited Histotech license for another two years. This means that the limited license under which many Pathologists’ Assistants are currently working in New York, although the license does not appropriately reflect our training or expertise, will not “sunset” or become invalid in September of this year. It will continue to be legal for Pathologists’ Assistants to work in New York under this license until 2018. This bill passed both houses of the Legislature and has been signed by the Governor of New York, thus becoming law.
Extending the limited license, however, is a temporary measure for addressing a defect in the New York clinical laboratory licensing system. Pathologists’ Assistants in New York still lack an appropriate licensure category.
The second bill offers an appropriate long term solution by creating a new licensure category for Pathologists’ Assistants in the Education Law and requiring clear standards for their practice that would be enforced by the State Education Department (NYSED). This would ensure only qualified individuals could undertake Pathologists’ Assistant responsibilities, which would protect public health, these valued professionals, and the institutions they serve.
This second bill, A10408/S7932, also recently passed both houses of the Legislature. It will be sent to the Governor for signature sometime between now and the end of the year.
We urge our members in New York to send memos to the New York Governor’s Office asking the Governor to sign this bill. Also, please ask any sympathetic laboratory administrators, hospital administrators, and Pathologists to support this effort as well
When contacting the Governor’s Office, please refer to Bill A10408/S7932, passed during the 2015-2016 Legislative session. Use this link to contact the Governor’s Office.
This legislation is necessary because, despite their importance, Pathologists’ Assistants in New York lack an appropriate licensure category. Their only current alternative is to try to qualify for various categories of laboratory personnel covered by the Clinical Laboratory Technology Practice Act (CLTPA), none of which reflect the education, training, and expertise of these highly trained individuals.
Our thanks to the Greater New York Hospital Association in helping to advance this legislation. The GNYHA staff worked to ensure the bill language was supported by as many groups as possible, coordinating with NYSED, the Department of Health (DOH), the Healthcare Association of New York State, the College of American Pathologists, the Medical Society of the State of New York, 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers East, and GNYHA members, who provided a great deal of input and technical assistance.
Sincerely,
Rosie Falcon, MS, PA(ASCP)CM
Legislative Adjunct to the Board of Trustees
[email protected]
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