SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

1994 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 164
Requesting the Joint Commission on Health Care to study the strategies and incentives necessary to promote cost-effective health care delivery by making optimum use of nurse practitioners.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 14, 1994
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 25, 1994

WHEREAS, in order to provide cost-effective, accessible, quality, health care it is necessary to coordinate teams of health-care practitioners in all delivery settings; and

WHEREAS, relationships between and among members of regulated health occupations and professions are governed by statute and regulations which define terms, such as "collaboration," that affect interdependent health-care practices; and

WHEREAS, national studies and studies in the Commonwealth, including studies conducted by the Area Health Education Center Nurse Task Force, have identified barriers to cost-effective care that are created or fostered by these regulatory definitions and relationships; and

WHEREAS, nurse practitioners in the Commonwealth are regulated by the Joint Boards of Medicine and Nursing within the Department of Health Professions; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Commission on Health Care is charged to "study, report and make recommendations on all areas of health-care provision, regulation, insurance, liability, licensing, and delivery of health-care services"; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Joint Commission on Health Care be requested to study the strategies and incentives necessary to promote cost-effective health care delivery by making optimum use of nurse practitioners within the Commonwealth. The study shall specifically address: (i) the extent to which, if any, existing statutes and regulations governing nurse practitioners create barriers to cost-effective care; and (ii) the social and financial impact and medical efficacy of direct reimbursement to nurse practitioners, as well as the effect such reimbursement would have on access to primary health-care services in the Commonwealth.

The Joint Boards of Medicine and Nursing, the Area Health Education Centers program and other related public and private agencies and associations representing the affected health-care professions shall be requested to provide support to the commission in carrying out this study. Pursuant to the Administrative Process Act (§ 9-6.14:1 et seq.), the Joint Boards of Medicine and Nursing be requested to promulgate proposed appropriate definitions of the term "collaboration" and other terms affecting interdependent health-care practices that describe and govern the relationship between physicians and nurse practitioners. By October 1, 1994, the joint boards shall report to the Joint Commission on Health Care on the progress in developing such definitions.

The Joint Commission on Health Care shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1995 Session of the General Assembly in accordance with the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.

#NS