Sec. 58-1.5. Duties and qualifications of clinical laboratory technical personnel

(a) Duties of technologist.

The laboratory shall employ a sufficient number of qualified medical technologists, or where appropriate, cytotechnologists, to perform proficiently under general supervision the clinical laboratory tests which require the exercise of independent judgment as follows:

(1) The medical technologists shall perform tests which require the exercise of independent judgment and responsibility, with a minimal supervision by the director or supervisor, in only those specialties or subspecialties in which they are qualified by education, training and experience.

(2) With respect to specialties in which the medical technologist is not qualified by education, training or experience, he shall function only under direct supervision and perform only tests which require limited technical skill and responsibility.

(3) Clinical laboratory technologists shall be sufficient in number to adequately supervise the work of technicians and trainees.

(4) An individual who qualifies as a cytotechnologist under subdivision (c) of this section may supervise technicians and trainees only in the specialty of cytology.

(b) Qualifications of medical technologist.

A medical technologist must meet one of the following requirements:

(1) Successful completion of a full course of study which meets all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree in medical technology from an accredited college or university.

(2) Successful completion of three academic years of study (a minimum of 90 semester hours or equivalent) in an accredited college or university which met the specific requirements for entrance into, and the successful completion of a course of training of at least 12 months in a school of medical technology approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association.

(3) Successful completion in an accredited college or university of a course of study which meets all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree in one of the chemical, physical or biological sciences and, in addition, at least one year of pertinent laboratory experience and/or training covering the specialty(ies) or subspecialty(ies) in which he performs tests, provided the combination has given the individual the equivalent in such specialty(ies) or subspecialty(ies) of the education and training described in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subdivision.

(4) Successful completion of three years (90 semester hours or equivalent) in an accredited college or university with a distribution of courses as shown below, and, in addition, successful experience and/or training covering several fields of medical laboratory work of such length (not less than one year), and of such quality that this experience or training, when combined with the education, will have provided the individual with education and training in medical technology equivalent to that described in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subdivision. Distribution of course work: (Where semester hours are stated, it is understood that the equivalent in quarter hours is equally acceptable. The specified courses must have included lecture and laboratory work. Survey courses are not acceptable.)

(i) for those whose training was completed prior to September 15, 1963: At least 24 semester hours in chemistry and biology courses of which not less than nine semester hours must have been in chemistry and must have included at least six semester hours in inorganic chemistry, and not less than 12 semester hours must have been in biology courses pertinent to medical sciences;

(ii) for those whose training was completed after September 15, 1963: 16 semester hours in chemistry courses, which included at least six semester hours in inorganic chemistry and are acceptable toward a major in chemistry; 16 semester hours in biology courses which are pertinent to the medical sciences and are acceptable toward a major in the biological sciences; and three semester hours of mathematics.

(5) With respect to individuals first qualifying prior to April 1, 1972, an exception to the requirements in paragraph (1), (2), (3) or (4) of this subdivision may be made if:

(i) the technologist was performing the duties of a medical technologist at any time between July 1, 1961 and September 1, 1971;

(ii) the technologist has had at least 10 years of pertinent clinical laboratory experience prior to September 1, 1971: provided, that a minimum of 30 semester hours credit toward a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a chemical, physical, or a biological science as his major subject; or 30 semester hours in an approved school of medical technology shall reduce the required years of experience by two years, with any additional hours further reducing the required years of experience at the rate of 15 hours for one year; and

(iii) he has performed the duties of a clinical laboratory technologist for at least two years during the qualifying 10 years:

(a) in a clinical laboratory having a director at the doctoral level, of a hospital, university, health department or medical research institution; or

(b) in a laboratory approved under the supplementary medical insurance program: Provided also, that where qualifying years in a laboratory described in clause (a) of this subparagraph are obtained after January 30, 1969, the laboratory meets applicable conditions under the Federal health insurance program, or under title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, part 74, the latter being the regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act of 1967.

(c) Qualifications of cytotechnologists:

(1) have successfully completed two years in an accredited college or university with at least 12 semester hours in biology courses pertinent to the medical sciences; and:

(i) must have received 12 months of training in a school of cytotechnology approved by the American Medical Association; or

(ii) received six months formal training in a school of cytotechnology approved by the American Medical Association and six months of full-time experience in cytotechnology in a laboratory acceptable to the pathologist who directed such formal six months of training; or

(2) prior to September 1, 1971, shall have been graduated from high school, completed six months of training in cytotechnology in a laboratory directed by a pathologist or other physician recognized as a specialist in cytology, and completed two years of full-time experience in cytotechnology.