It is the intent of the Legislature that the board shall seek ways and means to identify and rehabilitate physician assistants whose competency is impaired due to abuse of dangerous drugs or alcohol so that they may be treated and returned to the practice of medicine in a manner which will not endanger the public health and safety.

The board shall establish and administer a diversion program for the rehabilitation of physician assistants whose competency is impaired due to the abuse of drugs or alcohol. The board may contract with any other state agency or a private organization to perform its duties under this article. The board may establish one or more diversion evaluation committees to assist it in carrying out its duties under this article. As used in this article, “committee” means a diversion evaluation committee. A committee created under this article operates under the direction of the diversion program manager, as designated by the executive officer of the board. The program manager has the primary responsibility to review and evaluate recommendations of the

committee.

Participation in a diversion program shall not be a defense to any disciplinary action which may be taken by the board. This section does not preclude the board from commencing disciplinary action against a physician assistant who is terminated unsuccessfully from the program under this section. That disciplinary action may not include as evidence any confidential information.