On Thursday, May 17 at 9:00 a.m., the Committee of the Joint Boards of Nursing and Medicine will be convening in Henrico to promulgate regulations pertaining to HB 793. VCNP leadership and the GR committee, in conjunction with our legal council and lobbyist, have worked fastidiously to compile and submit comments to the Committee of the Joint Boards, in an effort to ensure that the regulations passed will suit the best interests of NPs.
 
Please plan to join us at the May 17th meeting, to be held at 9:00 a.m. at the Perimeter Center, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 201, Board Room 2 in Henrico. Just as with the General Assembly Subcommittee and Committee meetings, VISIBILITY is key. During the meeting, the Committee will receive public comment, consider draft regulations, and make recommendations. They may address the issue again at their next meeting in June, as to finalize their recommendations to the Board of Nursing in July and the Board of Medicine in August. Additional information is available on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall site.
 
A substantial NP presence at the meeting will help demonstrate our dedication to the legislation and belief in its positive impact – which can only be achieved without oppressive regulations.
 
We are collecting the names and contact information of those who plan to attend, as to ascertain how many members and colleagues we may anticipate. Please RSVP by MONDAY, MAY 14 via this form. Be sure to indicate on the form if you are interested in providing testimony at the meeting; we will be in touch with further details about what information, statistics, and personal experience we recommend highlighting.
 
You may view a copy of our comments by clicking here. Organized medicine’s oppositional comments are also available here. See “Concerns with VAFP and MSV’s Comments” below for our reaction to their remarks. The meeting agenda package also includes comments from other organizations and interest groups, including VHHA, ER physicians, and pediatricians.
 
DOWNLOAD THE MEETING AGENDA
 
Concerns with Organized Medicine’s Comments
 
There are numerous issues with the regulations suggested by the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (VAFP) and the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV):

• The addition of “quality” metrics is NOT a reflection of the legislation – it should be removed. The HB 793 legislation is ONLY concerned with the duration of experience.
• The notion of Core Competencies over and above NP certification is not in the statute – and imposition of such a concept is inappropriate. The 5 year requirement is not a structured training program overseen by an MD; it is simply professional job experience gained by an already licensed NP.
• In regards to the requirements for an attestation: the law does not contain any notion of a physician “approving” an NP or judging quality – the physicians are simply meant to attest to the relationship. The Joint Boards are the only people intending to assure competence and pass judgement on the safety of practitioners.
• Organized medicine appears to fear being designated as an NP’s emergency management plan; but in reality, there is no statutory requirement for a specific physician to be designated or documented. It is the sole responsibility of the NP to have a general plan for referrals and emergencies, should they choose to open their own independent practice.