SCNP President & Board Member Have Letter to Editor Published!

The following Letter to the Editor was published today-9/11/13-in the Sarasota Herald Tribune!

Keep the conversation going with your peers, patients and physicians! We need everyone's support!

Ease barriers for NP's

Thanks for publishing the opinion by Bloomberg News that nurse practitioners should have the barriers to independent practice removed. (Editorial Page, Sept. 2).

As health-care consumers are impacted by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we hope the Florida Legislature will understand the need to increase the primary care workforce of our state. Florida has a primary care physician shortage, where only between 2 and 3 percent of medical school graduates enter primary care. It is time for the Florida Legislature to grant nurse practitioners the ability to practice to the full extent of their license.

Florida has lagged behind all other states in this regard! We diagnose, treat, prescribe many medications, and educate patients, but there are many restrictions. Some include: not being able to sign a Baker Act, order home health care, and obtain Drug Enforcement Administration licensure.

Florida will need to cover an additional 3 million citizens as they become eligible for health insurance under the ACA. This is the time to embrace the concept that NP's are qualified providers of primary care. Studies have shown positive outcomes when the primary care provider is a nurse practitioner. There are no studies that show negative outcomes! Contact your local legislators and let them know that you feel NP's should be able to practice to the full extent that our license allows.

Mary N. Healy,

RNP-C, President

Cindy Drew, ARNP-C,

Legislative Liaison

Sarasota County Nurse

Practitioners