Utah PA Compact Legislation Featured in Medscape!
Posted about 1 year ago by Amy Baird
We are so excited to lead the way in adopting the PA Licensure Compact! Can't wait for more states to join so we can improve access to care and move forward with the American Academy of Physician Associates. Grateful to the Utah Legislature for making this a reality. We are so appreciative of their support and commitment to quality healthcare.
Check out the article at Medscape: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/991013?reg=1
The compact will allow PAs to increase patients' access to care and offset a projected shortage of healthcare providers, said Joshua Winters, MPA, PA-C, who works with Utah Valley Dermatology and is chair of the legislative committee of the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants.
"If New York had had this in place during the pandemic, a lot more providers across the country could have provided healthcare without having to travel to New York."
The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) points to the need for cross-state practice authority, partly owing to the increased use of telemedicine.
While a 2020 survey by the organization found that three in four PAs used telemedicine for the first time, preliminary results of an AAPA report expected to be released in July indicate that 61% of PAs continue to use telemedicine or telehealth services.
The compact will also benefit PAs who need to move because of family obligations, such as having a spouse in the military, or who work for regional healthcare organizations that see patients in more than one state, AAPA reports.
For the PA compact legislation to take effect, seven states must adopt it. Bills have already been introduced in Minnesota, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas.
Coincidentally, the same day Utah adopted the PA compact legislation, the state also became the 27th, along with the District of Columbia and two US territories, to adopt full practice authority (FPA) for nurse practitioners."
#PAsGoBeyond #palicensurecompact #nursepractitioner