Who can provide peer recommendations for independent or non-independent allied health practitioners such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and psychologists, midwives, and social workers when there is no other similar practitioner on staff?

Any examples are for illustrative purposes only.

The definition of a peer (see HR 02.01.03 EP 6) is someone from the same discipline. For example, physicians for physicians, dentists for dentists, podiatrists for podiatrists, etc. It does not have to be someone in the same specialty (orthopedist, etc.).

To be able to provide a recommendation, the peer must be familiar with the individual's actual performance.  For a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, psychologist or social worker, ideally, this would be an individual from the same discipline.  Therefore, the organization should attempt to obtain such recommendations. This could be an individual from within the same organization or someone from outside the organization.  The organization determines the number of required peer recommendations. 

In situations where there is no nurse practitioner, physician assistant, psychologist, or social worker to provide a peer recommendation, it is acceptable for a physician with like qualifications that is familiar with the practitioner's performance, to provide the recommendation. For example, an internist could provide a recommendation for a physician assistant, an anesthesiologist for a nurse anesthetist, a psychiatrist for a psychologist, and a psychologist, with similar responsibilities, could provide a recommendation for a social worker.