Colorado § 12-285-209 - Continuing professional competency - rules - definition.

§ 12-285-209. Continuing professional competency - rules - definition.

(1) (a) A certified physical therapist assistant shall maintain continuing professional competency to practice.

(b) The board shall adopt rules establishing a continuing professional competency program. The rules shall set forth the following elements:

(I) A self-assessment of the knowledge and skills of a physical therapist assistant seeking to renew or reinstate a certification;

(II) Development, execution, and documentation of a learning plan based on the assessment; and

(III) Periodic demonstration of knowledge and skills through documentation of professional development activities necessary to ensure at least minimal ability to safely practice the profession; except that a physical therapist assistant need not retake any examination required by section 12-285-205 for initial certification.

(c) The board shall establish that a certified physical therapist assistant satisfies the continuing competency requirements of this section if the certified physical therapist assistant meets the continuing professional competency requirements of one of the following entities:

(I) An accrediting body recognized by the board; or

(II) An entity approved by the board.

(d) (I) After the program is established, a physical therapist assistant shall satisfy the requirements of the program in order to renew or reinstate a certification to practice as a certified physical therapist assistant.

(II) The requirements of this section apply to individual certified physical therapist assistants, and nothing in this section requires a person who employs or contracts with a certified physical therapist assistant to comply with the requirements of this section.

(e) Professional development activities must be measured by a contact-hour-to-credit-hour ratio.

(2) Records of assessments or other documentation developed or submitted in connection with the continuing professional competency program are confidential and not subject to inspection by the public or discovery in connection with a civil action against a certified physical therapist assistant. A person or the board shall not use the records or documents unless used by the board to determine whether a certified physical therapist assistant is maintaining continuing professional competency to engage in the profession.

(3) As used in this section, "continuing professional competency" means the ongoing ability of a certified physical therapist assistant to learn, integrate, and apply the knowledge, skill, and judgment to practice as a certified physical therapist assistant according to generally accepted standards and professional ethical standards.

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1534, § 1, effective October 1.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-41-208.5 as it existed prior to 2019.