N.M. Code R. § 20.3.20.7 – Definitions

As used in this part (20.3.20 NMAC).

A. “Act” means the Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Health and Safety Act, Sections 61-14E-1 to 61-14E-12 NMSA 1978.
B. “Advisory council” means the medical imaging and radiation therapy advisory council (MIRTAC).
C. “Applying ionizing radiation” means to use ionizing radiation for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, including tasks having direct impact on the radiation burden of the patient, such as, but not limited to:
1. (1) positioning the patient, image receptor, and beam;
2. (2) selection of exposure factors or treatment parameters;
3. (3) preparation, calibration, and injection of pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals in accordance with a licensee’s scope of practice; and
4. (4) actuating the production of radiation.
D. “Approved program” means a medical imaging or radiation therapy educational program that meets the requirements of 20.3.20.200 NMAC.
E. “Biennial licensure fee” means the licensure fee for an initial, renewal, and limited radiography license, excluding the temporary license, for a period up to 24 months, and is only applied once per continuing medical education biennium period regardless of the number of licenses granted to that registrant. This fee will be assessed each time a registrant submits an application packet to the department. Upon written request to the department, the registrant may reduce their NM biennium period to match their national continuing medical education biennium period.
F. “Board” means the environmental improvement board.
G. “Cardiac sonography” or “echocardiography” means an examination using ultrasound to generate an image of the heart or major blood vessels.
H. “Category A” means a continuing education activity approved for category A credit by an organization recognized by the American registry of radiologic technologists as a recognized continuing education evaluation mechanism.
I. “Certificate of licensure” means a document issued by the department that lists the type or types of license granted to an individual.
J. “Certificate of limited practice” or "limited practice of radiography license" means a limited license granted by the department to an individual other than a licensed practitioner or radiographer who performs restricted diagnostic radiography procedures under the direct supervision of a licensed practitioner or radiographer on designated anatomical sites or limited anatomical areas.
K. “Certified nurse practitioner” means a person licensed pursuant to Section 61-3-23.2 NMSA 1978.
L. “Chest and thorax” or "viscera of the thorax" means radiographic examinations of the ribs and lungs, including anteroposterior, posterior-anterior, lateral, and apical lordotic views, but does not include mammography.
M. “Clinical instruction” means hands-on educational experience in a health care setting such as a hospital, clinic, or physician’s office, under the supervision requirements consistent with the standards of the program’s accrediting agencies.
N. “Continuing education” (CE) or “continuing medical education” (CME) means a learning activity that is planned, organized, and administered to enhance the professional knowledge and skill of the licensee.
O. “Credential” or “certification” means the recognition awarded to an individual who meets the initial and ongoing requirements of a credentialing or certification organization.
P. “Credentialing organization” or “certification organization” means an organization accredited by the national commission for certifying agencies or the American national standards institute and recognized by the board that issues credentials through testing or evaluation and determines that an individual has met defined standards for training and competence in a medical imaging or radiation therapy modality and subspecialty.
Q. “Department” means the New Mexico environment department.
R. “Diagnostic medical sonographer” means a person, including a vascular technologist or echocardiographer, other than a licensed practitioner, who provides patient care services using ultrasound;
S. “Diagnostic medical sonography” or “sonogram” means the use of ultrasound and sonographic equipment to create medical images for interpretation by a licensed practitioner or other qualified health care practitioner that provide diagnostic information about a patient’s medical condition and includes obstetrical ultrasound. Obstetrical ultrasound means an ultrasound exam performed for the purpose of fetal biometry beyond the first trimester, fetal number, anatomic survey, or follow-up examination for a known or suspected anomaly or growth disturbance. It does not mean a procedure using ultrasound on a focused imaging target to assess specific and limited information about a patient’s immediate medical condition or to provide real-time visual guidance for another procedure.
T. “Didactic instruction” means academic instruction.
U. “Duplicate certificate of licensure” means an additional original certificate of licensure issued by the department.
V. “Extremities” means the fingers, hand, wrist, radius/ulna, elbow, humerus, pectoral girdle (shoulder joint and clavicle), toes, foot, ankle, calcaneus, tibia/fibula, patella, knee, or distal femur, but does not include the skull, spine, hip, or pelvis.
W. “Facility” means a hospital, clinic, medical office, mobile lab, or other location where medical imaging or radiation therapy is provided.
X. “Focused imaging target” means a discrete anatomical target, to which ultrasound is applied to create an image for assessment of specific and limited information about a patient’s immediate medical condition, or to provide visual guidance for another procedure. An ultrasound procedure on a focused imaging target does not supplant a diagnostic ultrasound examination.
Y. “General sonography” means an examination using ultrasound to create an image of the abdomen, chest, pelvis, pregnant uterus, small parts, or superficial structures.
Z. “Interventional” means to diagnose or treat patients using medical imaging devices. Interventional procedures may include, but are not limited to: radiation therapy, organ biopsy, angiography, angioplasty, and catheter delivered stents. Interventional does not mean needle or catheter placement for vascular access or delivery of medicine or anesthesia, or the use of non-ionizing energy for non-imaging therapeutic or treatment purposes.
1. (1) computed tomography and all of its subspecialties;
2. (2) diagnostic medical sonography and all of its subspecialties;
3. (3) magnetic resonance imaging and all of its subspecialties;
4. (4) nuclear medicine technology and all of its subspecialties;
5. (5) radiation therapy and all of its subspecialties; and
6. (6) radiography and all of its subspecialties.
  AN. “Musculoskeletal sonography” or “musculoskeletal ultrasound” means an examination using ultrasound to generate an image of a superficial muscle, tendon, ligament, or joint.
  AO. “Non-ionizing radiation” means the static and time-varying electric and magnetic fields and radio frequency, including microwave radiation and ultrasound.
  AP. “Nuclear medicine technologist” means an individual, other than a licensed practitioner, who performs nuclear medicine procedures, venipuncture, and compounds, calibrates, dispenses, and administers pharmaceuticals, radiopharmaceuticals, and radionuclides under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.
  AQ. “Personal identification” means an applicant’s or licensee’s full legal name, permanent and mailing address, social security number, date of birth, home phone number, cellular telephone number, work telephone number, electronic mail address, department registration number, and other related information.
  AR. “Phlebology” means ultrasound examination of superficial veins in the lower extremities for the identification and treatment of venous disease.
  AS. “Physician assistant” means a person licensed and operating within their scope of practice pursuant to Section 61-6-7 or 61-10A-4 NMSA 1978.
  AT. “Place of employment” means a location with its own physical address or separated by building structure regardless of ownership, company, nonprofit organization, or business name.
  AU. “Podiatric” means radiographic examination of the toes, foot, ankle, calcaneus, distal tibia/fibula, but does not include the knee joint.
  AV. “Programmatic accreditation” means a specialized accreditation process that examines the medical imaging or radiation therapy program within an educational institution.
  AW. “Radiation therapy” means the use of high-energy particles or waves to destroy or damage cells.
  AX. “Radiation therapy technologist” or “radiation therapist” means an individual, other than a licensed practitioner, who utilizes ionizing radiation for the planning and delivery of therapeutic procedures to humans under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.
  AY. “Radiographer” means an individual, other than a licensed practitioner, who applies radiation to humans for diagnostic purposes under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.
  AZ. “Radiography” means the application of radiation to humans for diagnostic purposes, including adjustment or manipulation of x-ray systems and accessories, including image receptors, positioning of patients, processing of films and any other action that materially affects the radiation dose to patients.
  BA. “Radiologic technologist” or “radiation therapy technologist” means a medical imaging or radiation therapy professional licensed by the department in one or more of the imaging modalities.
  BB. “Radiologist” means a licensed practitioner certified by the American board of radiology, the British royal college of radiology, the American osteopathic board of radiology or the American chiropractic board of radiology.
  BC. “Radiologist assistant” means an individual licensed as a radiographer who holds additional certification as a registered radiologist assistant by the American registry of radiologic technologists and who works under the supervision of a radiologist; provided that a radiologist assistant shall not interpret images, render diagnoses or prescribe medications or therapies.
  BD. “Recognized continuing education evaluation mechanism (RCEEM)” means a recognition mechanism of the ARRT for evaluating the content, quality, and integrity of a continuing education activity.
  BE. “Registration number” means a number that is generated by the department to be used as a unique identification number in place of that individual’s social security number. This number will remain the same number throughout the individual’s lifetime.
  BF. “Remedial education” or “remedial training” means additional education or training required for an individual to re-qualify to take a state-administered examination for the limited practice of radiography.
  BG. “Scope of practice” means nationally recognized practice standards as applicable to each medical imaging modality and subspecialty, unless this part is superseded by the act.
  BH. “Small parts” means superficial structures or anatomy including, but not limited to: axilla, chest or abdominal wall, penis, scrotum or testicles, thyroid, parathyroid, and other non-vascular structures of the neck or extremities.
  BI. “Sonographer” or “echocardiographer” or “vascular technologist” means an individual other than a licensed practitioner who applies ultrasound to humans for diagnostic and interventional purposes under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.
  BJ. “Sonography” or “ultrasound” means the use of high frequency sound waves (above 20,000 cycles per second) with specialized equipment to direct the sound waves into an area of the human body to generate an image.
  BK. “Sonography subspecialty” means an area of specialization recognized by the board, including:
7. (1) abdominal sonography;
8. (2) breast sonography;
9. (3) cardiac sonography;
10. (4) musculoskeletal sonography;
11. (5) obstetric/gynecology sonography;
12. (6) phlebology sonography; and
13. (7) vascular sonography.
  BL. “Student” means an individual enrolled in and attending a school or college of medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, podiatry, dentistry, dental hygiene, an approved program in medical imaging or radiation therapy, or an approved limited radiography program.
  BM. “Subspecialty” means an area of specialization approved by the board within a medical imaging or radiation therapy modality.
  BN. “Supervision” means responsibility for and control of quality, radiation safety, and protection and technical aspects of the application of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation to human beings for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
14. (1) “direct supervision” means the medical imaging or radiation therapy procedure is provided under the direction and control of a person authorized to provide supervision and the person’s physical presence must be present in the office suite or building and immediately available to furnish assistance and direction throughout the performance of the procedure. It does not mean that the supervisor must be present in the room when the procedure is performed.
15. (2) “indirect supervision” or “general supervision” means the medical imaging or radiation therapy procedure is provided under the direction and control of a person authorized to provide supervision, but the person’s presence is not required during the performance of the procedure. The training of the non-physician personnel and the maintenance of the necessary equipment and supplies are the continuing responsibility of the person authorized to provide supervision.
16. (3) student supervision requirements must be consistent with the medical imaging and radiation therapy standards of the programmatic accreditation agencies.
  BO. “Temporary license” means a grant of authority by the department for an individual to perform medical imaging or radiation therapy procedures pursuant to the term and requirements of section 20.3.20.321 NMAC.
  BP. “Vascular sonography” means an examination using ultrasound to generate an image of the peripheral or neck blood vessels.
  BQ. “Viscera of the thorax” means radiographic examination of the lungs and mediastinum.
AA. “Ionizing radiation” means gamma rays and x-rays, alpha and beta particles, high speed electrons, neutrons, protons, and other nuclear particles; but not ultrasound, sound, or radio waves, nor visible, infrared or ultraviolet light.
AB. “License” means a grant of authority issued by the department for an individual to perform medical imaging or radiation therapy procedures.
AC. “License term” means a length of licensure as indicated on the certificate of licensure issued by the department.
AD. “Licensed practitioner” means an individual licensed to practice medicine, dentistry, podiatry, chiropractic or osteopathy in this state.
AE. “Licensee” means an individual who has met and continues to meet all requirements of the act and this part.
AF. “Licensure” means the grant of authority by the department for an individual to perform medical imaging or radiation therapy procedures.
AG. “Limited practice radiography technologist” means an individual who has been granted a limited practice in radiography license by the department to perform restricted diagnostic radiography procedures under the direct supervision of a licensed practitioner or radiographer.
AH. “Lower leg” means the knee and ankle and portions of the leg between the knee and ankle.
AI. “Magnetic resonance imaging” means an examination using magnetic fields and radio frequency signals to generate an image.
AJ. “Magnetic resonance technologist” means an individual other than a licensed practitioner who performs magnetic resonance imaging procedures under the supervision of a licensed practitioner using magnetic fields and radio frequency signals.
AK. “Medical imaging” means the use of substances or equipment emitting ionizing or non-ionizing radiation on humans for diagnostic or interventional purposes.
AL. “Medical imaging professional” means an individual who has been granted a license by the department pursuant to the act in at least one medical imaging modality.
AM. “Modality” means the following medical imaging procedures or technologies:

[20.3.20.7 NMAC - Rp, 20.3.20.7 NMAC, 9/25/2018; A, 04/19/2022]