Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-826 WAC, Health care assistants, amending the rules to align with new rules for medical assistants.

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: ESSB 6237 (chapter 153, Laws of 2012) and RCW 18.135.030.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The legislature passed ESSB 6237 in 2012 creating the new medical assistant profession and phasing out the current health care assistant profession. The department of health began rule making in July 2012 to create rules to implement the new profession. The bill also directs the department to transition all currently credentialed health care assistants to the new medical assistant categories of certified phlebotomist or hemodialysis technician. The existing health care assistant rules may need technical changes to ensure the transition is efficient and credential holders, supervisors and facilities understand when the new credentials will be issued.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

     Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Interested persons can participate in the rule process through meetings and by submitting written comments to medicalassistants@doh.wa.gov or to P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852. Interested parties are encouraged to join our listservs which can be accessed at http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?A0=MEDICAL_ASSISTANT or at http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?A0=HEALTH-CARE-ASSISTANTS to get updates on the rules.

November 16, 2012

Mary C. Selecky

Secretary