HJBR Mar/Apr 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE I  MAR / APR 2021 29 “For NPs inLouisiana, outdated regulations make it illegal for them to deliver patient care and healthcare services for which NPs are educated, clinically trained and licensed by the state to provide — unless they hold a contract with a physician. This limits and disrupts patient care and increases costs for NPs, their patients and the healthcare system at large.” When the Louisiana legislative session convenes in April, lawmakers have the power to alleviate provider shortages for the long term — which are on track to significantly worsen in the coming years — by making the changes for NP licensure from the governor’s executive order permanent. Such action will have no effect on the scope of services that NPs provide. It will simply allow NPs to provide the care they are clinically trained, educated and licensed to deliver without a physician contract as they do in 23 other states. Simply put, modernizing Louisiana’s licensure laws will strengthen access to care and reduce costs by removing red tape and cutting face. In the current pandemic and beyond, it’s imperative for our leaders to make it easier for our residents to gain access to the high-quality healthcare NPs provide. Today, nearly half of U.S. states grant patients full and direct access to NP care, arming themwith solutions to address both the healthcare access and opioid crises facing their states. NPs assess patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, develop treatment plans and prescribe medications in all 50 states and practice under the laws of the state in which they are licensed. NPs start their careers as registered nurses and go on to complete graduate degree programs for advanced clinical education and sit for national boards to become certified in their area of clinical focus. Our profession provides healthcare services in rural and urban areas, in hospitals, primary care and long-term care settings, via home health and telehealth. More than three quarters of NPs are trained in primary care, which is critically needed by Louisiana patients. Unfortunately, Louisiana remains among a shrinking pool of states that restrict patient access to NP care. In these states, regulatory roadblocks limit healthcare access for millions of patients. For NPs in Louisiana, outdated regulations make it illegal for them to deliver patient care and healthcare services for which NPs are educated, clinically trained and licensed by the state to provide — unless they hold a contract with a physician. This limits and disrupts patient care and increases costs for NPs, their patients and the healthcare system at large. In April 2020, as part of Governor Edwards’ pandemic emergency response, these burdensome restrictions were temporarily lifted to grant patients direct access to NP care. This temporary regulatory change has allowed patients to access critical healthcare services during the worst of the pandemic. A year into the pandemic, this temporary governor’s order remains in place and is helping our state address critical needs. bureaucracy — a win for patients and our state. To push back the rising tide of chronic disease, COVID-19, poor health outcomes and mental health challenges impacting our families, neighbors and friends, it is time to remove barriers that keep NPs from doing the job they are trained and licensed to do. NPs are uniquely qualified to provide our communities the high- quality, comprehensive and cost-effective primary healthcare patients need — right now — and as we emerge from the grip of the pandemic. n Sophia Thomas photo courtesy of American Association of Nurse Practitioners