ISAPN knows what ISMS is doing.....do you?

All across the country the practice of APNs is being challenged. In many states APN practice privileges have been reversed by the influence and efforts of their medical societies. We in Illinois are at risk of this now. In the recently published Scope of Practice Data Series AMA states: "Our AMA will develop a plan to assist the state and local medical societies in identifying and lobbying against laws that allow advanced practice nurses to provide medical care without the supervision of a physician.” (H-160.947 Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners) They are NOT saying collaboration – they are saying supervision, a step back from the language of the Illinois APN Practice Act. Most significant is that these policies were proposed to the AMA by the state medical society delegation from Illinois!

The only way APNs have been able to combat these attacks is by joining together in a unified effort to communicate with legislators and the public. It is time again to do that; and the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN) is providing the structure and means to protect APN practice through a free trial membership to the over 6000 licensed APN in Illinois that allows you to be informed and engaged during the important upcoming 2010 spring legislative session.

Did you know that with the APN legislative accomplishments in Illinois you have been "seeking unwarranted practice expansion that may endanger the health and safety of patients”?  (Michael D. Maves, MD, Executive Vice President, Chief Executive Officer, American Medical Association)

Do you receive Medicare reimbursement? AMA "will take all appropriate action to achieve a reversal of CMS policy which allows payment for physician services rendered by nurse practitioners and certified nurse specialists that are performed without physician supervision”. (BOT Rep. LL, A-90; Appended: Res. 240, A-00)

Do you perform annual physical exams? AMA policy supports the position that performance of comprehensive physical examinations to diagnose medical conditions be limited to licensed medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy (MDs/DOs) or those practitioners who are directly supervised by licensed MDs/ DOs; and the AMA will actively work with state medical societies and medical specialty associations, both in the courts and in the legislative and regulatory spheres, to oppose any proposed or adopted law or policy that would inappropriately expand the scope of practice of practitioners other than MDs/DOs. (Sub. Res. 210, I-96)

Do you work in a retail clinic? The state medical society has proposed a bill requiring that physicians be medical directors of no more than two clinic locations; prohibit insurers from reducing co-pays or offering other financial incentives to steer patients to retail clinics; and establish scope of practice for nurse practitioners at the clinics. Also, clinics would be required to give patients a written notice "stressing the importance of having a personal physician who can provide the full range of health care services”.

Ever do ANYTHING with a patient? H-35.990 Non-Physician Measurement of Body Functions: In the public interest, the AMA recommends that nonphysi- cians who perform tests such as blood pressure or blood sugar measurements advise the examinee to communicate these findings to a licensed physician. (Sub. Res. 59, I-80; CLRPD Rep. B, I-90; Reaffirmed: Sunset Report, I-00)

And they are not alone in their opinions:

From Illinois Society of Anesthesiologists (ISA) President Ralph Glasser in an opening article to the ISA members:

"But organized nursing continues undaunted in trying to eliminate statutory collaboration with physicians or any mandate for MD/DO involvement in patient care. While nurses can perform the technical aspects of delivering the anesthetic, only a physician is trained and equipped to provide the medical care requisite for a safe perioperative experience. A trained anesthetist delivers one component of anesthetic care. Only anesthesiologists can deliver both.”

The 2008 AMA Resolutions and ACNM’s Response

The American Medical Association’s 2008 resolutions included Resolution 204, which opposes the creation of boards of midwifery and calls for greater physician oversight in midwifery practice; Resolution 205, in which AMA declares its intention to support state legislation to promote hospital and birth center birth over home birth; and Resolution 214, which declares that nurses who are Doctors of Nursing Practice only be able to practice under the supervision of a physician and as part of a medical team with the final authority and responsibility for the patient under the supervision of a licensed physician.” http://www.acnm.org/ACNM_Response_to_AMA.cfm

The American Academy of Pediatrics realizes that nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other nonphysician pediatric clinicians may care for children in underserved areas where patients have limited or no access to a physician. The AAP opposes independent practice, independent prescriptive authority, and reimbursement parity for these nonphysician clinicians.

ISAPN may be new to you - or this will be an opportunity to get involved again to see how ISAPN protects APN practice in Illinois. You will have all the privileges of membership during the trial membership months in addition to the legislative updates emailed regularly. After seeing how important ISAPN is for your practice we do want you to become a permanent member in June, but more importantly go now to the Join Now button and join without cost on a trial basis during these significant upcoming months.