§34-24-291. Purpose of article.

(a) Shortages of all skilled health personnel, both physicians and others, new scientific and technological developments and new methods of organizing health services have made the question of new uses for allied health personnel the critical issue to be resolved if our supply of health manpower is to be used effectively and productively. In its concern with the growing shortage and geographic maldistribution of health care services in Alabama, the Legislature intends to establish in this article a framework for legal recognition and development of new categories of health manpower - assistants to physicians.

(b) It is also the intent of this article to encourage the more effective utilization of the skills of physicians by enabling them to delegate certain health care tasks to qualified assistants to physicians where such delegation is consistent with the patient's health and welfare.

(c) It is also the intent of this article to encourage and permit the utilization of the assistants to physicians by physicians and to remove existing legal constraints. It is also the purpose of this article to allow for innovative developments of programs for the education of assistants to physicians. And, it is also the purpose of this article to provide for the establishing of a system of approving and regulating physicians and assistants to physicians so that a high quality of service is insured.

(Acts 1971, No. 1948, p. 3146, §1.)