Monthly Archives: February 2018

The Latest on HB 793

General News

We have reviewed the letter distributed today by AANP and appreciate their acknowledgment of the difficult legislative landscape of the Commonwealth of Virginia. We wanted to take an opportunity to clarify for our members a few points that were addressed.

 

First, it is important to note that a lot of states would value the opportunity to transition to practice without requirement for a practice agreement. Once the bill is passed and the attestation process is completed, more than 50 percent of our members will have the ability to practice without a collaborative agreement.

 

Regarding AANP’s mention of our current bill: it’s important to note that we are working from a new substitute bill that reduces the restrictive language that was initially introduced during the first House sub-committee meeting.

 

While the legislation does retain physician-led team language during the collaborative period and the joint regulatory oversight of the Boards of Medicine and Nursing, this was a trade-off we needed to make in order to achieve transition to practice language.

 

Please note that we are working on a question and answer document (FAQ) to clarify any and all potential questions and hope to have it completed within the next few days. We will follow up with an email when that is finished. This document will also be housed on CareforVA.com.

 

We appreciate all the questions and encouragement that we have received. As AANP noted, this is a difficult process and we are doing everything we can to ensure that legislation is in the best interest of all NPs in Virginia. This is why the VCNP executive committee, all regional presidents, and the regional government relations chairs held an emergency conference call last Wednesday to discuss our new substitute bill and to vote on if they wanted Del. Roxann Robinson to move forward. Nine members of the executive committee and 12 regional presidents all voted unanimously to move forward with the substitute.

 

We will continue to work on your behalf and keep you informed of any changes.

New HB 793 “Substitute Bill” Passed by Senate Committee

General News

Today, the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners – along with Del. Roxann Robinson, the patron of HB 793 – generated a huge legislative win that will move nurse practitioners in Virginia closer to obtaining Full Practice Authority.

 

During the Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee’s reading of HB 793, Del. Robinson introduced a new “substitute” bill that removed many of the overbearing restrictions in the original bill that opponents had wanted to impose on NPs. The substitute was unanimously approved by the committee in a 15-0 vote.

 

The new substitute bill goes a long way to reduce the restrictions that would have been imposed by the original House subcommittee substitute of HB 793, but it does retain the five-year transition to practice requirement. With this being a top concern for members, VCNP’s Executive Committee, all Regional Presidents, and regional Government Relations chairs, held an emergency conference call Wednesday night to discuss the new substitute bill and to vote on if they wanted Del. Robinson to move forward with it. Nine members of the Executive Committee and 12 Regional Presidents all voted unanimously to move forward with the substitute.

 

Mark Coles of the Tidewater region noted before the vote: “Virginia is a state where legislative progress is only made incrementally. We might be an outlier with a five-year transition to practice, but there are more than 20 other states around the country that would love to be in the place where we are right now. Full practice authority is within reach.”

 

It is important for all members to understand that, with the new substitute bill, more than 50 percent of NPs in Virginia have already met the five-year transition to practice requirement. Once the substitute bill is approved by the entire Senate, it will return to the House floor for another vote. Should it pass again and be signed by the Governor, rules will be promulgated by January 1, 2019 and NPs will be eligible to move forward with authority to practice without requirement of a collaborative agreement.

 

VCNP President Chris Daley noted to everyone on last night’s call that we are pledged to transparency throughout this process. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your Regional President or Government Relations chair. It is the goal of the VCNP Board to ensure that everyone is comfortable with this process.

 

HB 793 will be voted on by the full Senate in the upcoming days. Please stay tuned for additional details on our progress.

Fredericksburg Region meeting minutes 2/12/18

News - Fredericksburg

HB793 bill passed the committee, subcommittee and house.  Discussion was regarding physician attestation in the area of your licensure, your plan for referrals, It is a complex plan that includes 10,000 hours for full practice, you must prove malpractice insurance.  Discussion about licensure vs certification.

Most feel it is a “good step” toward full scope of practice, working toward a less restrictive bill to get through the senate which should be completed in about 3 weeks.

VCNP hired Wendy Carlson, attorney from Maryland to represent us.

The VNA is supportive.

The Department of Health Professions has some say in this as well.

CareforVA.com is a website that spells out the bill and contact information for NPs to contact their legislators.  It includes information on what an NP does and is paid for and sponsored by the VCNP.

March 8-11 VCNP conference in Reston.  We will need to put together a basket for the raffle.  usually about $150.

__Our present philanthropy project is providing socks for the homeless shelter.

We’ll discuss Treasure House, Micah café scholarship, Mental Health America, Safe Harbor, Senior Visitors, all as possible future philanthropy projects.

One time per year membership is in effect.

We presently have 74 members.

Next meeting is 3/12/18 at Brocks.

Submitted 2/16/18 JPSF

 

 

HB 793 Update: Contact Senate Education and Health Committee Members NOW!

General News, Uncategorized

Contact the Senate Education and Health Committee Members now! It is possible that HB 793 could be heard as early as Tuesday, February 20. This is the stage, with the Senate Sub-Committee and full Senate Committee, at which we will be proposing amendments to HB 793. We want you to know and trust that we will not let Virginia be an outlier. We have the commitment of our patron that we will not move forward with the bill if it remains in its current form. 

 

Tell the Committee members that you support HB 793!

Chairman Newman – district23@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7523

Richard Saslaw – district35@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7535

Louis Lucas – district18@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7518

Janet Howell – district32@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7532

Mamie Locke – district02@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7502

George Barker – district39@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7539

Richard Black – district13@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7513

Charles Carrico – district40@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7540

Chapman Peterson –district34@senate.virginia.gov– 804-698-7534

John A. Cosgrove – district14@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7514

Lynwood Lewis – district06@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7506

Siobhan S. Dunnavant –district12@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7512

Amanda Chase – district11@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7511

David Suetterlein – district19@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7519

Mark J. Peake – district22@senate.virginia.gov – 804-698-7522

 

We are actively working on changing and adding to the legislation to best fit the needs of Virginia NPs. This includes the following key points:
  • A reduction in hours requirements for the Transition to Practice program. This is a top priority for VCNP and its membership. We are working to educate our Senators that five full years of clinical experience requirements is excessive and has not been proven as a barometer for safe practice.
  • Attestation will be a standardized form created by DHP with provisions for exceptions for NPs who may not be able to obtain the physician signature; for example, circumstances due to physician death.
  • There is no provision for grandfathering NPs; however, existing experience will count towards years of experience qualifying for the transition time period. All eligible NPs will need to submit an attestation form to DHP to be able to practice unencumbered by the practice agreement requirement.
  • Endorsement of NPs from other states will be considered under regulations with provisions for NPs from out of state to meet equivalent time requirements attested by a physician or other entity if the physician’s signature cannot be obtained.
  • Removal of APRN titling because the definition excludes those early NPs whose educational programs granted certificates and not a master’s degree.
  • Removal of redundant language from regulations restating provisions for periodic review of records, including site visits.
  • Removal of language that NPs must have graduated from an educational program accredited by Commission on Collegiate Education, as this requirement has been met by virtue of licensure.
  • Collaboration will be defined as to the degree of cooperation necessary to provide treatment and the collaboration is with MDs and other health care providers.
  • Removal of language that NPs practice medicine.
As we are working on amendments, we still need your support! Submit letters via the CareforVA.com website and rally with your colleagues to continue to support HB 793.

2017 VCNP Scholarship Winner – Cindy Fagan

Uncategorized

The Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners (VCNP) awarded a $2,000 scholarship to Cindy Fagan, DNPc, RN, FNP-BC, on Saturday, Nov. 4 during the Virginia Nurses Foundation Gala at The Omni Homestead Resort.

 

Fagan earned her BSN and MSN degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently a Doctorate of Nursing Practice candidate at the University of Virginia. Her anticipated graduation date is May 2018. Fagan’s nursing career spans 31 years, with 18 of those years spent in the nurse practitioner role.

 

“Cindy’s commitment to the veterans she works with and to her position here at VCNP are inspiring,” said Christine Daley, MN, RN, ANP, president of VCNP. “We look forward to seeing her continue to grow within this profession and this organization.”

 

With roles in primary care, hospitalist, endocrine, and infectious disease, Fagan has varied experience. She is currently settled in the Veterans Health Administration, having spent the past 12 years serving our nation’s veterans at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center. Fagan also serves as the government relations chairperson for VCNP and has also served as past-president of the statewide organization. Her responsibilities within that role are to advance VCNP’s mission and goals in terms of legislative initiatives including policy development, strategies and tactics, engaging member participation in advocacy activities, garnering stakeholder support, coalition building and coordination of legislative efforts throughout the state.

 

VCNP’s scholarship, which was awarded for the first time in 2010, honors nurse practitioners and their passion for quality health care. To date, VCNP has granted $9,000 in total to scholarship winners. The scholarship is funded through the generous membership participation of the basket raffle that occurs each year at the annual conference. Scholarship applicants must be members of VCNP who are enrolled in a doctoral program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Applicants also must have completed 50 percent of the required hours of graduate study and exhibit academic excellence and a commitment to advanced practice nursing with strong clinical and leadership abilities.