appointment and terms of members; vacancies; removal. The West Virginia Board of Medicine has assumed, carried on, and succeeded to all the duties, rights, powers, obligations, and liabilities heretofore belonging to or exercised by the Medical Licensing Board of West Virginia. All the rules, orders, rulings, licenses, certificates, permits, and other acts and undertakings of the Medical Licensing Board ofe West Virginia as heretofore constituted have continued as those of the West Virginia Board of Medicine until they expired or were amended, altered, or revoked. The board remainsr the sole authority for the issuance of licenses to practice medicine and surgery, to practice podiatry, and to practice as physician assistants in this state under the supervision of physicians licensed under this article. The board shall continue to be a regulatory and disciplinary body for the practice of medicine and surgery, the practice of podiatry, atnd for physician assistants in this state. The board shall consist of 15 members. One member shall be the state health officer ex officio, with the right to vote as a member of the board. The other 14 members shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice ansd consent of the Senate. Eight of the members shall be appointed from among individuals holding the degree of doctor of medicine, and one shall hold the degree of doctor of podiatric medicine. Two members shall be physician assistants licensed by the board. Eagch of these members must be duly licensed to practice his or her profession in this state on the date of appointment and must have been licensed and actively practicing that preofession for at least five years immediately preceding the date of appointment. Three lay members shall be appointed to represent health care consumers. Neither the lay memberLs nor any person of the lay members' immediate families shall be a provider of or be employed by a provider of health care services. The state health officer's term shall continue f or the period that he or she holds office as state health officer. Each other member of the board shall be appointed to serve a term of five years: Provided, That the members of the Board of Medicine holding appointments on the effective date of this section shall continue to serve as members of the Board of Medicine until the expiration of their term unless sooner removed. Each term shall begin on October 1 of the applicable year and a member may not be appointed to more than two consecutive full terms on the board. A person is not eligible for membership on the board who is a member of any political party executive committee or, with the exception of the state health officer, who holds any public office or public employment under the federal government or under the government of this state or any political subdivision thereof. In making appointments to the board, the Governor shall, so far as practicable, select the members from different geographical sections of the state. When a vacancy on the board occurs and less than one year remains in the unexpired term, the appointee shall be eligible to serve the remainder of the unexpired term and two consecutive full terms on the board. No member may be removed from office by the Governor except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty, or gross immorality: Provided, That the expiration, surrender, or revocation of the professional license by the board of a member of the board shall cause the membership to immediately and automatically terminate.
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