Wisconsin Code § 146.89

Volunteer health care provider program
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(1)
In this section:
(d) “Governing body” means the governing body of any of the
following:
1. A charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (1).
2. A private school, as defined in s. 115.001 (3r), that participates in the choice program under s. 118.60 or the Milwaukee
Parental Choice Program under s. 119.23 or that, pursuant to s.
115.999 (3), 119.33 (2) (c) 3., or 119.9002 (3) (c), is responsible
for the operation and general management of a school transferred
to an opportunity schools and partnership program under s.
119.33, subch. IX of ch. 115, or subch. II of ch. 119.
(g) “School” means any of the following:
1. A public elementary school, including an elementary

school transferred to an opportunity schools and partnership program under s. 119.33, subch. IX of ch. 115 , or subch. II of ch.
119.
2. A charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (1).
3. A private school, as defined in s. 115.001 (3r), that participates in the choice program under s. 118.60 or the Milwaukee
Parental Choice Program under s. 119.23.
(h) “School board” has the meaning given in s. 115.001 (7).
(r) “Volunteer health care provider” means an individual who
is one of the following and who receives no income from the
practice of his or her health care profession or who receives no income from the practice of that health care profession when providing services at the nonprofit agency specified under sub. (3) or
for the school board or governing body specified under sub. (3r):
1. Licensed as a physician under ch. 448, naturopathic doctor
under ch. 466, a dentist, dental therapist, or dental hygienist under ch. 447, a registered nurse, practical nurse, or advanced practice registered nurse under ch. 441, an optometrist under ch. 449,
a physician assistant under subch. IX of ch. 448, a pharmacist under ch. 450, a chiropractor under ch. 446, a podiatrist under
subch. IV of ch. 448 , or a physical therapist under subch. III of
ch. 448.
(2) (a) Subject to par. (am), a volunteer health care provider
may participate under this section only if he or she submits a joint
application with a nonprofit agency, school board, or governing
body to the department and the department approves the application. If the volunteer health care provider submits a joint application with a school board or governing body, the application shall
include a statement by the school board or governing body that
certifies that the volunteer health care provider has received materials that specify school board or governing body policies concerning the provision of health care services to students and has
agreed to comply with the policies. The department shall provide
application forms for use under this paragraph.
(am) 1. A volunteer health care provider described in sub. (1)
(r) 5. may submit a joint application only with a nonprofit agency
to participate under this section.
2. No volunteer health care provider described in sub. (1) (r)
5. may provide services under this section for more than 60 days
in any 90 day period.
(b) The department may send an application to the medical
examining board for evaluation. The medical examining board
shall evaluate any application submitted by the department and
return the application to the department with the board’s recommendation regarding approval.
(br) The department may not disapprove the application
solely on the basis that the nonprofit agency is organized under
the laws of a state other than this state.
(c) The department shall notify the volunteer health care
provider and the nonprofit agency, school board, or governing
body of the department’s decision to approve or disapprove the
application.
(d) Approval of an application of a volunteer health care
provider is valid for one year. The department may withdraw approval of an application for failure of the nonprofit agency to
comply with this section. If a volunteer health care provider
wishes to renew approval, he or she shall submit a joint renewal
application with a nonprofit agency, school board, or governing
body to the department. The department shall provide renewal
application forms that are developed by the department and that
include questions about the activities that the individual has undertaken as a volunteer health care provider in the previous 12
months.
(e) The volunteer health care provider shall maintain his or
her credentials for his or her health care profession when providing any services under this section.
(3) Any volunteer health care provider and nonprofit agency
whose joint application is approved under sub. (2) shall meet the
following applicable conditions:
(a) The volunteer health care provider shall provide services
under par. (b) without charge, except as provided in sub. (3g) or
(3m), at the nonprofit agency, if the joint application of the volunteer health care provider and the nonprofit agency has received
approval under sub. (2) (a).
(b) Under this section, the nonprofit agency may provide the
following health care services:
1. Diagnostic tests.
2. Health education.
3. Information about available health care resources.
4. Office visits.
5. Patient advocacy.
6. Prescriptions.
7. Referrals to health care specialists.
8. Dental services, including tooth extractions and other procedures done under local anesthesia only and any necessary suturing related to the extractions, performed by a dentist or dental
therapist who is a volunteer health provider; and dental hygiene
services, performed by a dental hygienist who is a volunteer
health provider.
9. Any outpatient surgery that is permitted under the volunteer health care provider’s license under sub. (1) (r) 1. and for
which the provider has the necessary training, experience, equipment, and facilities.

(c) Under this section, the nonprofit agency may not provide
emergency medical services, hospitalization, or surgery, except
as provided in par. (b) 8.
(d) Under this section, the nonprofit agency shall provide
health care services primarily to low-income persons who are
uninsured and who are not recipients of any of the following:
2. Except as provided in sub. (3g) or (3m), Medical Assistance under subch. IV of ch. 49.
3. Medicare under 42 USC 1395-1395ccc.
(e) Under this section, the nonprofit agency shall assume responsibility for approving individuals to be volunteer health care
providers.
(f) Under this section, the nonprofit agency shall research and
validate an individual’s credentials before submitting the joint application to be a volunteer health care provider.
(g) The nonprofit agency shall enter the list of volunteer
health care providers providing services at that nonprofit agency
into an online, electronic system developed by the department of
administration.
(h) The nonprofit agency shall monitor volunteer health care
providers providing services at that nonprofit agency and shall
terminate a provider’s participation in the program under this
section with that nonprofit agency when the agency questions the
credentials of that provider or when the agency disapproves of the
practices of that provider.
(j) The nonprofit agency shall prepare and submit to the department an annual report that includes the types and number of
health care services provided by the nonprofit agency under this
section.
(3g) A nonprofit agency and volunteer health care providers
providing services at the nonprofit agency that provide services to
persons who are recipients of Medical Assistance may participate
in the program under this section if the Medical Assistance recipients served are primarily homeless individuals, as self-reported.
(3m) A volunteer health care provider who is a dentist or
dental therapist may provide dental services or a volunteer health
care provider who is a dental hygienist may provide dental hygiene services, to persons who are recipients of Medical Assistance, if all of the following apply:
(a) The nonprofit agency’s fees for these services apply to the
recipients and to persons who are not recipients of Medical
Assistance.
(b) The agency accepts discounted payments, based on ability
to pay, from the persons who are not Medical Assistance
recipients.
(c) The volunteer health care provider is certified under s.
49.45 (2) (a) 11. a. , the department has waived the requirement
for certification, or the volunteer health care provider is not required to be certified under s. 49.45 (2) (a) 11. a.
(3r) All of the following apply to a volunteer health care
provider whose joint application with a school board or relevant
governing body is approved under sub. (2):
(a) Before first providing health care services in a school, the
volunteer health care provider shall provide to the school board or
relevant governing body proof of satisfactory completion of any
competency requirements that are relevant to the volunteer health
care provider, as specified by the department of public instruction
by rule, and shall consult with the school nurse, if any, of the
school.
(b) Under this subsection, the volunteer health care provider
may provide only to students from 4-year-old kindergarten to
grade 6 the following health care services:
1. Except as specified in par. (c), the health care services
specified in sub. (3) (b) 1. to 5. and 7., other than referrals to reproductive health care specialists, and in sub. (3) (b) 8. and 9.
2. First aid for illness or injury.
3. Except as specified in par. (c), the administration of drugs,
as specified in s. 118.29 (2) (a) 1. to 3.
4. Health screenings.
5. Any other health care services designated by the department of public instruction by rule.
(c) Under this subsection, the volunteer health care provider
may not provide any of the following:
1. Hospitalization.
2. Surgery, except as provided in par. (b) 2. and 5. and sub.
(3) (b) 9.
3. A referral for abortion, as defined in s. 48.375.
4. A contraceptive article, as defined in s. 450.155 (1) (a).
5. A pregnancy test.
(d) Any health care services provided under par. (b) shall be
provided without charge at the school and shall be available to all
students from 4-year-old kindergarten to grade 6 regardless of
income.
(e) Under this subsection, a volunteer health care provider
may not provide instruction in human growth and development
under s. 118.019.
(4) Except as provided in sub. (5), volunteer health care
providers who provide services under this section are, for the provision of these services, state agents of the department for purposes of ss. 165.25 (6), 893.82 (3) and 895.46. This state agency
status does not apply to a volunteer health care provider for whom
the department has withdrawn approval of the application under
sub. (2) (d) . This state agency status applies regardless of
whether the volunteer health care provider has coverage under a
policy of health care liability insurance that would extend to services provided by the volunteer health care provider under this
section; and the limitations under s. 895.46 (1) (a) on the payment by the state of damages and costs in excess of any insurance
coverage applicable to the agent and on the duty of a governmental unit to provide or pay for legal representation do not apply.
Any policy of health care liability insurance providing coverage
for services of a health care provider may exclude coverage for
services provided by the health care provider under this section.
(5) (a) A volunteer health care provider who meets all of the
following criteria is not a state agent under sub. (4):
1. The volunteer health care provider is described in sub. (1)
(r) 5.
2. The volunteer health care provider has sufficient liability
insurance coverage, as determined by the department of health
services.
3. The volunteer health care provider submits a joint application with a nonprofit agency that has sufficient liability coverage,
as determined by the department of health services.
(b) A volunteer health care provider described in par. (a) is
not liable for any civil damages for any act or omission resulting
from providing services under this section, unless any of the following are true:
1. The act or omission is the result of the volunteer health
care provider’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.
2. The act or omission violates a state statute or rule.
(6) (a) While serving as a volunteer health care provider under this section, an advanced practice registered nurse is considered to meet the requirements of s. 655.23, if required to comply
with s. 655.23.
(b) While serving as a volunteer health care provider under

this section, an advanced practice registered nurse is not required
to maintain in effect malpractice insurance.

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