To be certified by the department as a Certified Hemodialysis Technician (CHT), a person shall meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Have a high school diploma or equivalency, or have greater than four years of work experience in dialysis as of October 14, 2008.
(b) Have successfully completed a training program that is approved by the medical director and governing body of a hemodialysis clinic or unit, under the direction of a registered nurse. Following approval by the medical director and governing body, the training program shall be submitted to the department for approval. The training program shall be approved by the department prior to implementation. The training program shall focus on the operation of kidney dialysis equipment and machines, providing direct patient care, and communication and interpersonal skills, including patient sensitivity training and care of difficult patients. For purposes of this subdivision, a person “successfully completes a training program” if he or she completes all didactic portions of the program and demonstrates competency in the knowledge and skills provided by the program.
(1) The training program shall include all of the following subjects, at a minimum:
(A) Principles of dialysis.
(B) Care of patients with kidney failure, including interpersonal skills.
(C) Dialysis procedures and documentation, including initiation, proper cannulation techniques, monitoring, and termination of dialysis.
(D) Possible complications of dialysis.
(E) Water treatment and dialysate preparation.
(F) Infection control.
(G) Safety.
(H) Dialyzer reprocessing, if applicable.
(2) A community or corporate-based training program, or a training program offered by an educational institution, is acceptable if the program meets the requirements of this subdivision.
(3) A person employed as a hemodialysis technician by a hemodialysis clinic or unit for more than two years as of October 14, 2008, who does not have documentation of having successfully completed a training program meeting the requirements of this subdivision, shall be deemed to be in compliance with this subdivision by doing both of the following:
(A) Passing a written exam, offered by a hemodialysis clinic or unit, or a community or corporate-based training program that meets the requirements of this chapter, covering the subjects listed in paragraph (1).
(B) Passing a skills checklist through observation by a registered nurse of the skills listed in paragraph (1).
(c) Successfully accomplish either of the following:
(1) Pass a standardized test that is approved by the department and that covers the subjects listed in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) and in Section 1247.5. This test shall be administered in a proctored environment by an independent examiner. For purposes of this subdivision, independent examiners may include representatives appointed by End-Stage Renal Disease Network 17, End-Stage Renal Disease Network 18, the California Dialysis Council, or any private testing organization approved by the department for that purpose.
(2) Successfully pass an examination offered by a national, commercially available certification program for hemodialysis technicians which is approved for this purpose by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
(d) (1) No later than July 1, 2019, the department shall require an applicant to provide either the individual taxpayer identification number or social security number for purposes of applying for or the renewal of a certificate issued under this section or regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.
(2) If the department utilizes a national examination to issue a certificate, and if a reciprocity agreement or comity exists between the State of California and the state requesting release of the individual taxpayer identification number or social security number, any deputy, agent, clerk, officer, or employee of the department may release an individual’s taxpayer identification number or social security number to an examination or certifying entity only for the purpose of verification of certification or examination status.
(3) The individual taxpayer identification number or the social security number shall serve to establish the identification of persons affected by state tax laws and for purposes of establishing compliance with subsection (a) of Section 666 of Title 42 of the United States Code, Section 60.15 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 17520 of the Family Code, and Section 11105 of the Penal Code, and to that end, the information furnished pursuant to this section shall be used exclusively for those purposes.
(4) The department shall not do either of the following:
(A) Require an applicant to disclose citizenship status or immigration status for purposes of the application or renewal of a certificate.
(B) Deny certification to an applicant based solely on his or her citizenship status or immigration status.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 838, Sec. 3. (SB 695) Effective January 1, 2019.)