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1995 SESSION

LD8696828
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 512
Offered January 20, 1995
Requesting Virginia’s academic health centers, in cooperation with the Area Health Education Centers Program, to develop collaborative training models for physicians and nurse practitioners.
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Patrons--DeBoer, Baker, Ball, Brickley, Connally, Heilig, Melvin, Morgan and Moss; Senators: Andrews, Holland, C.A., Holland, E.M., Lambert, Schewel, Walker and Woods
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the health care system is undergoing profound changes in response to market forces and public demands for reform; and

WHEREAS, the emerging health care system will be characterized by managed care in which providers must work together to deliver cost-effective services with an emphasis on preventive and primary care delivered in the community; and

WHEREAS, patients in the emerging health care system will often be treated by coordinated teams of health care providers with members from different disciplines including medicine, nursing, allied health, and others; and

WHEREAS, team members will need to possess certain core competencies in order to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care, including (i) the ability to promote community health, (ii) the ability to deliver contemporary clinical care, (iii) the ability to utilize health outcomes research in clinical decision-making, (iv) a commitment to involve patients and families in decision making, (v) the ability to evaluate the cost impact of health care decisions, and (vi) the ability to function collaboratively in a team environment; and

WHEREAS, team members also will need to understand and appreciate the practice scope and professional approach of other disciplines so that they will be prepared to work collaboratively in providing services to patients; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Commission on Health Care, in its 1994 report “Optimum Use of Nurse Practitioners,” found that resistance to collaborative practice between physicians and nurse practitioners is in part due to a lack of mutual understanding of the scope of practice and professional approach of physicians and nurse practitioners; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Commission on Health Care further found that collaborative training of medical students and nurse practitioner students would foster improved working relationships between physicians and nurse practitioners; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s academic health centers, including the University of Virginia Health Science Center, the Medical College of Hampton Roads, and Virginia Commonwealth University, have made a strong commitment to reforming their educational programs to meet the needs of the 21st century health workforce; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program is an important vehicle for facilitating the delivery of health professions education programs in local communities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia, and the Medical College of Hampton Roads, in cooperation with the Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program, shall restructure their instructional programs to provide collaborative training of physicians and nurse practitioners in appropriate settings within the institutions and within communities.

Each school shall report on its progress to the Governor and the General Assembly by October 1, 1995 as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for processing legislative documents.