Board of Nursing Updates on Collaborative Agreements, etc:
PCNP is in direct communication with the Board of Nursing (BON). They are aware of every comment we received from our membership regarding the issues with the Collaborative Agreements and the need to suspend some of the requirements regarding the same to address the COVID-19 outbreak. Based on PCNP's communications with the BON, it is imperative that you continually check the BON website for changes for the possible suspension of rules related to your existing or pending collaborative agreements. It is possible we may see some changes as early as Monday, March 23. Any updates we are aware of directly from the BON or otherwise, we will apprise you.  

If you have any additional comments to share regarding the restrictions or other barriers you are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, submit them here. We are taking your comments directly to the BON. Please continue to share your issues/concerns with us so we can address them promptly. Click here for a direct link to the BON website. Please click here to see some regulation suspensions for health care professionals as of March 18, 2020.

Department of Health Updates:
The Department of Health is updating on a daily basis the number of deaths and other key information. As of today, Friday, March 20, 2020, there are 268 confirmed cases. This is a huge jump from yesterday. Please protect yourself and follow the guidance from your organizations, the Governor and the Secretary of Health.
Click here to view the direct link to the COVID-19 information on the Department of Health website. If you scroll down to the bottom of the Department’s webpage, you will also see the number of deaths each day and the locations of COVID-19 cases per county on the county map provided.

https://www.pacnp.org/page/COVID19

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals: “Let Pennsylvania be recognized as a state that embraced legislation to improve access, quality and cost of care by passing SB25. This legislation will unburden organizations such as ours from unnecessary, excessive, administrative and regulatory documentation and lengthy delays to practice.”

Penn Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania Health System: “Senate Bill 25 would increase access to quality care in rural and urban communities who have high unmet health care needs and potentially lower the cost of health care in the Commonwealth.”

Geisinger Health System: “Geisinger is undergoing a large-scale primary care redesign effort to better serve our mostly rural population.  The ability to better utilize our Nurse Practitioners is critical to this work.  Senate Bill 25 would afford our health care facilities greater flexibility when responding to the needs of patients and families.”

Lehigh Valley Health Network: “We support passage of the legislation and feel it would improve patient care and access to care by increasing the pool of qualified caregivers,” Dr. Thomas Whalen, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer told the Pocono Record. “I think the biggest benefit of this legislation would be in rural areas where physician shortages are most prominent.”

Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania: “The changing nature of health care requires that all members of the health care team work together as part of an inter-professional team. Senate Bill 25 is consistent with the team care delivery models being used by hospitals and health systems. In order to meet the growing health care needs in the commonwealth, every member of the health care team must be able to practice to the full scope of their license. Senate Bill 25 does not change NPs’ scope of license.”

“At every level of health care, from health systems to individual practitioners, we share the same mission: to improve the lives and health of our patients.  We also share a responsibility to do all we can to enhance the quality of care we provide. This philosophy guides our approach to public policy. Senate Bill 25, Full Practice Authority for nurse practitioners, will improve patient health, increase access to care, and lower costs. It’s time for Pennsylvania patients to benefit from this proven reform,” said Dr. Adele Caruso, DNP, CRNP, President of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners.

The health systems join a wide-ranging, bipartisan list of supporters who trust nurse practitioners to care for Pennsylvanians.

In addition to health systems, almost every major health care stakeholder group in Pennsylvania has endorsed Senate Bill 25. Supporters include patient care advocates like AARP Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Homecare Association and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania; free market advocates like the Commonwealth Foundation  and Americans for Prosperity; the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association; newspaper editorial boards; and many, many more. The lone source of opposition to this proven reform comes from physician trade associations.

About Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners, also called certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) or advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), have advanced graduate education with master’s degrees or doctorates, and are nationally certified in their population focus areas. Among their many services, NPs:

·         Order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests;

·         Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries;

·         Prescribe medications and other treatments;

·         Manage a patient’s care.

More than 100 studies have proven that NPs provide safe, high-quality health care.

Currently, in order to practice in Pennsylvania, an NP must secure business contracts, called collaborative agreements, with two physicians. Researchers – including physicians and NPs alike – have proven that this mandate offers no patient health benefits. To the contrary, research shows that the mandate restricts access to care and correlates to worse patient health outcomes.

Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 100 would end this costly, arbitrary and outdated mandate and make Pennsylvania a Full Practice Authority state. Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia are already using Full Practice Authority to expand access to care, especially for those in underserved rural areas and patients with Medicaid insurance.

Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 100 require a Transition to Practice period. Each new NP must work three years and 3,600 hours in a clinical setting prior to earning Full Practice Authority as regulated by the State Board of Nursing.

About the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) is the state organization dedicated to advancing, supporting and promoting the role of nurse practitioners. PCNP protects the practice of more than 13,700 certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) in Pennsylvania. Formed in the 1980s by just three forward-thinking NPs, PCNP now has more than 2,000 active members across the commonwealth in 17 regional groups, which provide educational and networking opportunities. The organization strives to improve communications among nurse practitioners, other healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations and the community by providing continuing education programs, fostering networking and professional development, and advocating for affordable, accessible healthcare. Learn more by visiting PACNP.org. 

On National Nurse Practitioner Week, PA NPs Urge Lawmakers to Improve Patient Care
“It’s Time for a Vote.”

(Harrisburg, PA), November 11, 2019 – Nov. 10-16 is National Nurse Practitioner Week, an annual celebration to recognize exceptional health care providers. It is also an opportunity to remind lawmakers of the importance of removing outdated barriers to practice so that nurse practitioners (NPs) will be allowed to practice to the full extent of their experience and education.

This year on National Nurse Practitioner Week, the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners urged State House lawmakers to hold a vote on Senate Bill 25, which would modernize Pennsylvania’s rules for NPs. It passed the State Senate by a margin of 44-to-6 in June.

Dr. Adele Caruso, DNP, CRNP, President of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners:

“Pennsylvania’s 13,700 nurse practitioners play a critical role in providing high-quality care to patients. We are proud to be recognized for this service by Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Senate as they designate Nurse Practitioner Week here in the Commonwealth.”

“There is overwhelming support for allowing NPs to practice to the full extent of our licensure and training. A vast majority of patient advocates support the legislation. The reform has been debated for years. We call upon the Pennsylvania House to move Senate Bill 25 so that we may fulfill our commitment to care for Pennsylvanians. It’s time for a vote.”

Governor Tom Wolf issued a proclamation recognizing National Nurse Practitioner Week. The full proclamation can be found here.

“The faith and trust that patients have in NP-delivered health care is evidenced by the more than 1.02 billion visits made to NPs annually,” Wolf said.

The Pennsylvania State Senate passed a resolution commemorating National Nurse Practitioner Week and calling for PA to adopt modern rules for the profession. The resolution said:

· “Five decades of research demonstrate the high quality of care provided by NPs.”

· “Better utilization of NPs through modernized State laws and improved policies creates better health through a more accessible, efficient, cost-effective and higher-quality health care system.”

· “Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have implemented ‘full practice authority’ for NPs, granting patients full and direct access to the outstanding care offered by these health care providers.”

· “Leading governmental and policy entities, including the National Academy of Medicine, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, National Governors Association and Federal Trade Commission, have taken notice of the benefits of full practice authority for NPs and have endorsed such a regulatory model.”

An overwhelming majority of patient advocates in Pennsylvania support the bill, including:

About Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners, also called certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) or advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), have advanced graduate education with master’s degrees or doctorates, and are nationally certified in their population focus areas. Among their many services, NPs:

· Order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests;

· Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries;

· Prescribe medications and other treatments;

· Manage a patient’s care.

More than 100 studies have proven that NPs provide safe, high-quality health care.

Currently, in order to practice in Pennsylvania, an NP must secure business contracts, called collaborative agreements, with two physicians. Researchers – including physicians and NPs alike – have proven that this mandate offers no patient health benefits. To the contrary, research shows that the mandate restricts access to care and correlates to worse patient health outcomes.

Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 100 would end this costly, arbitrary and outdated mandate and make Pennsylvania a Full Practice Authority state. Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia are already using Full Practice Authority to expand access to care, especially for those in underserved rural areas and patients with Medicaid insurance.

Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 100 require a Transition to Practice period. Each new NP must work three years and 3,600 hours in a clinical setting prior to earning Full Practice Authority as regulated by the State Board of Nursing.

About the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) is the state organization dedicated to advancing, supporting and promoting the role of nurse practitioners. PCNP protects the practice of more than 13,700 certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) in Pennsylvania. Formed in the 1980s by just three forward-thinking NPs, PCNP now has more than 2,000 active members across the commonwealth in 17 regional groups, which provide educational and networking opportunities. The organization strives to improve communications among nurse practitioners, other healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations and the community by providing continuing education programs, fostering networking and professional development, and advocating for affordable, accessible healthcare. Learn more by visiting PACNP.org. 

Bill Would Improve Health Care, Increase Access and Lower Costs for Patients

Harrisburg, PA (June 12, 2019) – Adele Caruso, DNP, CRNP, President of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners, commented on Wednesday’s vote on Senate Bill 25. The Senate voted to enact Full Practice Authority for nurse practitioners by a margin of 44-to-6.

“The Senate delivered a big win to patients across Pennsylvania today. Our patients deserve the best possible health care and passage of Senate Bill 25 guarantees improved care quality, increased access and lower costs.  Twenty-two other states have already taken action to modernize licensure for nurse practitioners and it is time for the Commonwealth to do the same.  Pennsylvania is ready for Full Practice Authority!” 

About Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners (NPs), also called certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) or advanced practice registered nurses-certified nurse practitioners (APRN-CNPs), have advanced graduate education with master’s degrees or doctorates, and are nationally certified in their population focus areas. Among their many services, NPs:

• Order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests;
• Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries;
• Prescribe medications and other treatments;
• Manage a patient’s care.

More than 100 studies have proven that NPs provide safe, high-quality health care.

Currently, in order to practice in Pennsylvania, an NP must secure business contracts, called collaborative agreements, with two physicians. Researchers – including physicians and NPs alike – have proven that this mandate offers no patient health benefits. To the contrary, research shows that the mandate restricts access to care and correlates to worse patient health outcomes.

Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 100 would end this costly, arbitrary and outdated mandate and make Pennsylvania a Full Practice Authority state. Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia are already using Full Practice Authority to expand access to care, especially for those in underserved rural areas and patients with Medicaid insurance.

Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 100 require a Transition to Practice period. Each new NP must work three years and 3,600 hours in a clinical setting prior to earning Full Practice Authority as regulated by the State Board of Nursing.

About the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) is the state organization dedicated to advancing, supporting and promoting the role of nurse practitioners. PCNP protects the practice of more than 12,400 certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) in Pennsylvania. Formed in the 1980s by just three forward-thinking NPs, PCNP now has more than 2,000 active members across the commonwealth in 17 regional groups, which provide educational and networking opportunities. The organization strives to improve communications among nurse practitioners, other healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations and the community by providing continuing education programs, fostering networking and professional development, and advocating for affordable, accessible healthcare. Learn more by visiting PACNP.org.

###

The number of new diabetes cases among U.S. adults keeps falling, even as obesity rates climb, and health officials aren’t sure why.

New federal data released Tuesday found the number of new diabetes diagnoses fell to about 1.3 million in 2017, down from 1.7 million in 2009.

Earlier research had spotted a decline, and the new report shows it’s been going on for close to a decade. But health officials are not celebrating.

“The bottom line is we don’t know for sure what’s driving these trends,” said the lead author of the new report, Dr. Stephen Benoit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the possibilities: Changes in testing and getting people to improve their health before becoming diabetic. Read the full article on the Associate Press' website.

The final rule revises and updates the requirements for the PACE program under Medicare and Medicaid, including:

Strengthening protections and improving care for participants
Providing administrative flexibility and regulatory relief for organizations
The changes will provide greater operational flexibility, remove redundancies and outdated information, and codify existing practice.

For More Information:

• Final Rule
• Press Release

See the full text of this excerpted CMS Fact Sheet (issued May 28).

The United States recorded 60 new measles cases last week, taking confirmed cases for the year to 940, the worst outbreak since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000, federal health officials said on Monday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 6.8% increase in the number of measles cases in the week ended May 24 in an outbreak that has now reached 26 states. The agency has been providing weekly updates every Monday.

Experts warn that the outbreak is not over as the number of cases edges closer to the 1994 total of 958. That was the highest number since 1992, when the CDC recorded 2,126 cases.

Read the full story on Reuters' website.

For More Information:

• Final Rule
• Press Release
• Fact Sheet

For More Information:

• Medicare Preventive Services Educational Tool
• Initial Preventive Physical Examination Booklet
• Annual Wellness Visit Booklet
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mental Health website

Visit the Preventive Services website to learn more about Medicare-covered services.

Bucking a longstanding upward trend, new data shows that the percentage of Americans taking any prescription drug has fallen slightly over the past decade.

Still, nearly half -- 45.8% -- of Americans said they took at least one prescription medicine over the past month, according to a national survey conducted in 2015-2016.

That's a slight dip from the 48.3% of Americans -- children and adults -- who reported taking a prescribed drug in the same survey conducted in 2007-2008, according to a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

The drop in prescription use reverses a trend that had persisted since the 1990s, the study authors said. Read the full story on HealthDay News' website.

Medicare Learning Network resources:

Infection Control: Hand Hygiene Video: Learn when to wash your hands and techniques to wash visibly and non-visibly dirty hands — run time 1:58

Infection Control: Hand Hygiene Web-Based Training Course: Learn about hand hygiene in patient care zones and nearby administrative areas; appropriate methods for maintaining good hand hygiene; and how to recognize opportunities for hand hygiene in a health care setting — with continuing education credit

Take three simple actions to protect your patients: Talk about sexual health, test for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) as recommended, and treat patients following approved guidelines. Recommend appropriate Medicare-covered preventive services, including:

• Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and High Intensity Behavioral Counseling to Prevent STIs  
• Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Screening
• HBV Vaccine and Administration
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Screening

For More Information:

• Medicare Preventive Services Educational Tool
• Medicare Part B Immunization Billing Educational Tool
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage
• STD Awareness Month webpage

Visit the Preventive Services website to learn more about Medicare-covered services.

CMS implemented new opioid policies for Medicare drug plans effective Jan. 1. Over the next few weeks, CMS will share common myths about these new policies and the facts for providers.

 Myth: “Medicare is requiring that all opioid prescriptions be limited to a 7-day supply at a time.”

 Fact:

• Medicare Part D enrollees who have not filled an opioid prescription recently, such as within the last 60 days, will be limited to up to a 7-day supply
• This limit does not apply to enrollees already taking opioids

Medicare Part D opioid policies are not prescribing limits, and generally don’t apply to enrollees who: have cancer; get hospice, palliative, or end-of-life care; or who live in a long-term care facility. The new policies encourage collaboration and care coordination among Medicare drug plans, pharmacies, prescribers, and patients to improve opioid management, prevent opioid misuse, and promote safer prescribing practices.

For More Information:

• Roadmap
• Letter to providers about reducing opioid misuse
• Prescriber’s Guide to New Medicare Part D Opioid Overutilization Policies for 2019 MLN Matters Article
• Training materials for prescribers, pharmacists, and patients

The new Medicare Part D opioid policies encourage collaboration and care coordination among Medicare drug plans, pharmacies, prescribers, and patients in order to improve opioid management, prevent opioid misuse, and promote safer prescribing practices.

For More Information:

• Roadmap
• Prescriber’s Guide to New Medicare Part D Opioid Overutilization Policies for 2019 MLN Matters Article
• Training materials for prescribers, pharmacists, and patients

 See the full text of this excerpted CMS Blog (issued March 28).

Harrisburg, PA – Patients will be the big winners if a bill introduced this week in Harrisburg becomes law: Senate Bill 25 would modernize Pennsylvania’s rules for nurse practitioners (NPs) in a way that is proven to improve health care quality, increase access and lower costs.

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP), the organization that promotes and protects the practice of more than 12,400 NPs in the Commonwealth, applauded Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) for her leadership on behalf of patients.

“Senator Bartolotta is a woman of action. She knows that everyone deserves high-quality health care, and she is leading the charge in the Senate to ensure Pennsylvanians benefit from twenty-first century practices. On behalf of our patients, nurse practitioners everywhere thank her for her steadfast advocacy,” said PCNP President Adele Caruso, DNP, CRNP.

Sen. Bartolotta is joined on the bill by Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton) and 27 other cosponsors. Similar legislation passed the Senate 39-to-10 last session, but did not receive a vote in the House.

The bill comes just weeks after the Journal of the American Medical Association published new findings about the crucial and growing role NPs have in low-income and rural areas. From 2010 to 2016, the proportion of NPs in low-income communities rose from 19.8 to 41.1 per 100,000 people, while physicians dipped from 52.9 to 52. In rural communities, the proportion of NPs increased from 25.2 to 41.3 per 100,000 people while physicians dropped from 59.5 to 47.8.

“As a nurse practitioner who has served rural patients my entire career, I could not be prouder to be a constituent of Senator Bartolotta. She knows that access to primary care can be a matter of life and death and that NPs are ready and able to serve the rural communities that need it most,” said Mona Counts, PhD, of Rices Landing, Greene County.

The Pennsylvania Rural Health Association wrote in a letter of support last session: “Nurse practitioners are twice as likely to practice in rural areas compared to physicians, and nurse practitioners in states with full practice authority are more likely to practice in rural areas than nurse practitioners in states like Pennsylvania without Full Practice Authority.”

PCNP is a leading voice in the effort to adopt Full Practice Authority. The organization formally endorses SB25 as part of its ongoing advocacy for more than 12,400 NPs in Pennsylvania.

About Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners, also called certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) or advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), have advanced graduate education with master’s degrees or doctorates, and are nationally certified in their specialty areas. Among their many services, NPs:

· Order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests;

· Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries;

· Prescribe medications and other treatments;

· And manage a patient’s care.

More than 100 studies have proven that NPs provide safe, high-quality health care.

Currently, in order to practice in Pennsylvania, an NP must secure business contracts, called collaborative agreements, with two physicians. Researchers – including physicians and NPs alike – have proven that this mandate offers no patient health benefits. To the contrary, research shows that the mandate restricts access to care and correlates to worse patient health outcomes.

Senate Bill 25 would end this costly, arbitrary and outdated mandate and make Pennsylvania a Full Practice Authority state. Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia are already using Full Practice Authority to expand access to care, especially for those in underserved rural areas and patients with Medicaid insurance.

Senate Bill 25 would protect patient safety by requiring every NP to work three years and 3,600 hours in a clinical setting prior to earning Full Practice Authority, and all NPs would be overseen permanently by the State Board of Nursing.

About the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) is the state organization dedicated to advancing, supporting and promoting the role of nurse practitioners. PCNP protects the practice of more than 12,400 certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) in Pennsylvania. Formed in the 1980s by just three forward-thinking NPs, PCNP now has more than 2,000 active members across the commonwealth in 17 regional groups, which provide educational and networking opportunities. The organization strives to improve communications among nurse practitioners, other healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations and the community by providing continuing education programs, fostering networking and professional development, and advocating for affordable, accessible healthcare. Learn more by visiting PACNP.org. 

• Eliminated reporting for advanced diagnostic imaging, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments number, and the Food and Drug Administration radiology certification number
• Expanded instructions for individual and group affiliations to simplify reporting
• Made it optional to list a contact person
• Added electronic storage information for those who no longer keep paper records
• Created a more logical data flow

You may begin using the new application immediately. Through April 30, Medicare Administrative Contractors will accept applications dated 7/2011, but after that, you have to use the new version. View the application on the CMS website.

• Opioid Use and Pregnancy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Fostering Collaborative Patient-Provider Relationships in Pain Management and Opioid Prescribing

View additional modules on the Interactive Training Series webpage. The modules offer free continuing education.

An estimated 69,000 to 84,000 Americans were hospitalized due to the flu in the last three months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday.

The nation saw one of the worst flu outbreaks in nearly a decade during the 2017-2018 season, with more than 900,000 cases of hospitalizations and over 80,000 deaths, the CDC estimates here.

Between Oct. 1, 2018 and Jan. 5, 2019, about 6 million to 7 million people were reported to have contracted the flu, according to data collected by the health agency.

Health regulators have been trying to combat flu outbreaks in the United States and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first new flu medication in nearly two decades last year. Read the full article on Reuters' website.

The latest edition of the PCNP newsletter is now available online! This edition includes:

• A message from the president, Adele Caruso, DNP, CRNP
• A New Era in Shaping Health Policy
• PCNP 16th Annual Conference
• Congratulations to the Sheila Gealey Award Winner
• Congratulations to Our Basket Winners
• 2018 Lobby Day
• Save the Dates!

Read "We Are Ready" today!

PCNP Leadership and the PCNP Office would like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

The PCNP Office will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 22 and Friday, Nov. 23 in observance of the holiday. We hope you enjoy your day!

National Nurse Practitioner Week is this week – Nov. 11-17, 2018. This week brings recognition to the role of nurse practitioners and increase awareness of the exceptional care that nurse practitioners provide. Proclamations were given in many states in celebration of the week, and Pennsylvania was the first to get their proclamation! How will you celebrate National Nurse Practitioner week?

Want to purchase some NP gear to show off your NP pride? Each T-shirt or tank comes in a variety of colors. Unisex T-shirts are $35 and tanks are $30. Purchase a t-shirt or tank today! All proceeds from this sale will benefit the PCNP PAC.