Provided by: Jennifer Kirschenbaum, Esq.
April 16, 2019
Question
Hi Jennifer,
Can I hire a staff member that had been employed as an ophthalmic technician but let his certification lapse? He is willing to come back as a Scribe while he attends Optometric school.
Thank you,
J
Answer
There are no restrictions against who can work in a medical practice, just restrictions on who can treat patients. So, I have no problem with the person working as a scribe - a non medical, administrative position. He/she just cannot treat patients under any certification or license capacity that has lapsed. With this person, as with every other employee, please make sure you train on HIPAA, develop clear job responsibilities in his/her scope and require compliance with practice policies.
