Iowa § 225.15 - 225.15 Examination and treatment.

§ 225.15. 225.15 Examination and treatment.

When a respondent arrives at the state psychiatric hospital, the admitting physician, or a physician assistant who meets the qualifications set forth in the definition of a mental health professional in section 228.1, shall examine the respondent and determine whether or not, in the physician’s or physician assistant’s judgment, the respondent is a fit subject for observation, treatment, and hospital care. If, upon examination, the physician or physician assistant who meets the qualifications set forth in the definition of a mental health professional in section 228.1 decides that the respondent should be admitted to the hospital, the respondent shall be provided a proper bed in the hospital. The physician or physician assistant who meets the qualifications set forth in the definition of a mental health professional in section 228.1 who has charge of the respondent shall proceed with observation, medical treatment, and hospital care as in the physician’s or physician assistant’s judgment are proper and necessary, in compliance with sections 229.13, 229.14, this section, and section 229.16. After the respondent’s admission, the observation, medical treatment, and hospital care of the respondent may be provided by a mental health professional, as defined in section 228.1, who is licensed as a physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. [C24, 27, 31, 35, §3969; C39, §3482.15; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §225.15] 96 Acts, ch 1183, §10; 2004 Acts, ch 1090, §33; 2012 Acts, ch 1120, §55; 2015 Acts, ch 69, §24; 2016 Acts, ch 1073, §70; 2021 Acts, ch 80, §115; 2022 Acts, ch 1066, §26; 2024 Acts, ch 1161, §59, 137 Referred to in §225.16, 225.17 2024 amendment effective July 1, 2025; 2024 Acts, ch 1161, §137 Section amended Thu Dec 11 19:01:17 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 225.15 (30, 2)