Sens. Camera Bartolotta and Lisa Boscola are refiling a bill that would remove the requirement for nurse practitioners to collaborate with two physicians. Instead, practitioners would fulfill a three-year, 3,600-hour physician collaboration period before practicing independently.
The current requirements are “archaic restrictions” that “no longer reflect modern medicine,” the senators said in the report. Versions of the bill have never cleared the Legislature, but supporters hope the impact of nurse practitioners during COVID-19 will allow it to pass this year.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society and other medical associations worry that cutting physicians from nurse practitioner practices could lead to patient safety issues.
“It is in the best interests of patients to have a physician-led team lead their overall care,” F. Wilson Jackson, MD, a gastroenterologist and the Pennsylvania Medical Society president, told The Morning Call.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.