Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND LICENSING
Chapter 246-922 - Podiatric physicians and surgeons
Section 246-922-405 - Definitions used relative to monitoring of applicable impairing health conditions

(1) "Aftercare" and "continuing care" means that period of time after intensive treatment that provides the podiatric physician and the podiatric physician's family with group, or individualized counseling sessions, discussions with other families, ongoing contact and participation in self-help groups, and ongoing continued support of treatment program staff.

(2) "Contract" is a comprehensive, structured agreement between the recovering podiatric physician and the monitoring program wherein the podiatric physician consents to comply with the monitoring program and the required components for the podiatric physician's recovery activity.

(3) "Drug" means a chemical substance alone or in combination with other drugs, including alcohol.

(4) "Impaired podiatric physician" means a podiatric physician and surgeon who is unable to practice podiatric medicine and surgery with judgment, skill, competence, or safety due to an impairing health condition.

(5) "Impairing health condition" means a mental or physical health condition that impairs or potentially impairs the podiatric physician's ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety which may include a substance use disorder characterized by the inappropriate use of either alcohol or other drugs, or both to a degree that such use interferes in the functional life of the licensee, as manifested by personal, family, physical, emotional, occupational (professional services), legal, or spiritual problems.

(6) "Monitoring program" means an approved voluntary substance use disorder monitoring program or physician health monitoring program that the board has determined meets the requirements of the law and rules established by the board according to the Washington Administrative Code which enters into a contract with podiatric physicians who have an impairing health condition. The monitoring program oversees compliance of the podiatric physician's recovery activities as required by the board. Monitoring programs may provide either evaluation or treatment, or both to participating podiatric physicians.

(7) "Podiatric physician support group" is a group of either podiatric physicians or other health care professionals, or both meeting regularly to support the recovery of its members. The group provides a confidential setting with a trained and experienced facilitator in which participants may safely discuss drug diversion, licensure issues, return to work, and other professional issues related to recovery.

(8) "Random drug screens" are laboratory tests to detect the presence of drugs of abuse or dependency in body fluids which are performed at irregular intervals not known in advance by the person to be tested. The collection of the body fluids must be observed by a treatment or health care professional or other board or monitoring program-approved observer.

(9) "Recovering" means that a podiatric physician with an impairing health condition is in compliance with a treatment plan of rehabilitation in accordance with criteria established by the monitoring program.

(10) "Rehabilitation" means the process of restoring a podiatric physician with an impairing health condition to a level of professional performance consistent with public health and safety.

(11) "Reinstatement" means the process whereby a recovering podiatric physician is permitted to resume the practice of podiatric medicine and surgery.

(12) "Treatment facility" means a facility recognized as such according to RCW 18.130.175(1).

(13) "Twelve-step groups" are groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and related organizations based on a philosophy of anonymity, belief in a power greater than oneself, peer group association, and self-help.