By passing the current draft regulations as is, this will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.

I support of passage of the current draft regulations which will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent to lower barriers to practice in Virginia and to increase access to care for citizens of the Commonwealth. 

Passing the current draft regulations will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.

I encourage to the passing of HB 793 draft regulations as written to help enable autonomous Nurse Practitioner practice in Virginia. As it is, NPs face too many unnecessary obstacles that prove to be costly and time-consuming in providing basic patient care.  As an experienced NP practicing in a very rural area, my patients rely on me for their chronic and acute medical needs.  Our goal should be to enable more providers to practice in underserved areas.

Nuse Practitioners increase access to health care for all Americans.  The current draft regulations help ensure that the attestation process is fair, opening the door to autonomous practice for NPs throughout Virginia. Passing the current draft regulations will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.

This comment is to encourage the passage of the draft regulations to HB 793 as currently written. the current draft regulations help ensure that the attestation process is fair, opening the door to autonomous practice for NPs throughout Virginia. Passing the current draft regulations withoutany additional changes will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.

I am in favor of the HB 793 as drafted without any additional changes. In my position as a NP at a family practice office in Altavista, Va, we have had numberous physicians come and go. The physicians are unable to collaborate with more than a certain number of NPs. This has effected us greatly as a lot of NPs practice in this rural area. I have been practicing for 7 years and feel completely confident practicing autonomously and working with the physicians as colleagues. The collaborative contract has only been a hindrance to my practice. By being able to practice without these restrictions it would help our patient population significantly by allowing as many NPs as the organization wants to hire, be able to practice.

Thanks,

Melissa Tucker, FNP-C

Esteemed Colleagues

Thank you for allowing public comment on the proposed regulations for HB 793. I support these regulations as written. The draft regulations are an effective way to promote access to care for Virginians by allowing nurse practitioners who meet the proposed requirements to transition to an independent license. I appreciate that the proposed regulations are avoid additoinal burden to nurse practitioners by using the language in the legislation. Thank you for your diligent work.

Shelly Smith 

The current draft regulations re HB793 help ensure that the attestation process is fair, opening the door to autonomous practice for NPs throughout Virginia.  This bill's intent has been to lower barriers to practice in Virginia and ease access to healthcare for citizens. Thus, I encourage your support for the draft regulations as they stand, without any additional changes.

Respectfully,

Valerie J S Wrobel, MSN, RN, AGNP - BC,

President VCNP Northern Virginia Region

I support the passage of the current draft regulations.  This passage will ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent which would lower barriers to practice in Virginia.  This is necessary as it would increase access to care for our patients in state of Virginia.  

As a FNP practicing in Danville, I support the current draft of regulations in relation to HB 793.  

I support the HB793 draft regulations as written.

Brittany K Hines MSN AGACNP-BC FNP-C

I strongly encourage both boards to accept HB 793 as proposed. Any additions or changes would add barriers to autonomous practice for nurse practitioners. The regulations as proposed provide for attestation in a fair way.

I fully support the draft regulations to HB 793 as written with no additions or corrections. As a Nurse Practitioner in public health, passing the current draft regulations will increase access to care for citizens of the Commonwealth while lowering barriers to practice in Virginia. I urge both boards to accept the regulations as proposed. 

I support the draft regulations of HB 793 as they currently stand. IThey help to ensure the public safety.

I want to voice my support for the draft regulations as they stand, without any additional changes.  Passing the current draft regulations as they are written will provide a fair attestation process and will help to ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.

I want to voice my support for the draft regulations as they stand, without any additional changes. Passing the current draft regulations as they are written will provide a fair attestation process and will help to ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.  As the regulations are currently drafted, I will be able to move forward with the transition and open a practice in King George, VA.  My initial experience (in 2003) was in California with a psychiatric group for the first 4 years and I should be able to locate them without any difficulty.  However, my next years of employment were in Virginia at Remuda Ranch which closed down due lack of third party reimbursement.  In my efforts to catch up with those psychiatrists, I've not had much luck so far.  The current draft regulations will prevent what is not in my control from being a hindrance.  Thank you!

I want to voice my support for the draft regulations as they stand, without any additional changes. Passing the current draft regulations as they are written will provide a fair attestation process and will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.

Thank you to the committee for a smooth process in acceptance of the draft regulations at the May 17th meeting. The regulations, as they are proposed, will provide sufficient guidance to providers with regard to implementation of HB793. I request that the BON and BOM pass the regulations as proposed to move this bill forward as soon as possible to remove one of the major barriers in the Commonwealth to access to care.  

Phyllis C Everett, NP-C

Owner, Adult NP

Sapient Health Services, PLLC dba Huddleston Health and Wellness

Definitely in full support of full practice authority for nurse practitioners in the state of Virginia. It has been evidenced in multiple states that full practice  Authority  for nurse practitioners is both safe and effective. Virginia residents deserve increased access to primary care and other specialties.  

I support this bill without any amendments, and I strongly encourage both sides to pass this bill. Any changes would severely limit access for patients to well-qualifies providers. 

I encourage you to pass HB 793 enabling nurse practitioners to provide autonomous care. This will improve access to health care for many patients.

I am in support of this legislation as proposed. In accordance with the IOM’s Future of Nursing report, nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training. Autonomous practice for NPs will allow for improved access to care for the residents of Virginia. As a newly trained provider deciding where to practice, practice restrictions can be a deterrent to practicing in that state. This legislation is a step in the right direction. 

I am in support. We need this to pass to be able to provide better access to care

I commend the work of composing the lanuage of the regulations that passed by committee recently. It follows the intent of the General Assembly. I support the current regulations and request that any proposed changes restricting full practice to qualifying NPs be addressed.

I support of passage of the current draft regulations which will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent to lower barriers to practice in Virginia and to increase access to care for citizens of the Commonwealth. Suzanne Barron, MS, FNP-BC

I support passage of the current draft regulations which will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent to lower barriers to practice in Virginia and to increase access to care for citizens of the Commonwealth. I am employed as a Nurse Practitioner for the Virginia Department of Health. 

I am writing today in support of the draft regulations for HB 793 as they stand and without any additional changes.  Passing the current draft regulations as written will ensure that the legislation reflects it's initial intent - to lower the barriers to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  

I would like to emphasize ad support the current draft regulations to HB 793 will help ensure that the legislation will maintain its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.  

Please continue with HB793 as it is.  Our goal is to decrease barriers that NPs currently face and to increase services to our communities!!

Please pass HB 793 as is. We need as many NPs as possible to care for pts with no restrictions. Less restrictions, more quaillity care!

TPassing the current draft regulations will help ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.  Virginia does not want to fall behind other states in terms of providing patient access to quality health care from NPs. 

Currently the board of pharmacy and board of medicine in va doesn’t allow for NPs to recommend or prescribe CBD oil in the state of Virginia. I am a practice owner in both Maryland and Virginia treating veterans and I know the efficacy of cannabis oils. As NPs  We need to be able to recommend these oils in the state of Virginia and it not be excluded by physicians.   Thank you for your consideration and hard work.

HB793 needs to be approved in its current form to allow the safe and full autonomous practice of NPs in VA to further patient care and access. 

I want to voice my support for the draft regulations as they stand, without any additional changes. Passing the current draft regulations as they are written will provide a fair attestation process and will help to ensure that the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia.

I am in full support of HB 793 without any amendments. 

I would like to take this time to voice my support for the draft regulations as they stand. I do not support any additional changes. Passing the current draft regulations as they are written will provide a fair attestion process and will help to ensure the legislation maintains its original intent: to lower barriers to practice in Virginia. The current draft regulations help ensure the attestation process is fair. Any additional restrictive language will result in harming vulnerable populations seeking healthcare. Promoting health, and preventing chronic disease for all citizens of the Commonweath of Virgina is our shared goal. 

Development of draft regulations that maintain the original intent of HB 793 is vital--to lower barriers for NP practice in the state of Virginia.  Healthcare access is a major issue in our country, especially for individuals living in rural areas or who are affected by health disparities such as poverty, low education levels, and little to no insurance.  Nurse practitioners who are able to practice to the full extent of their training and education are an important way to increase healthcare access for underserved populations.  There are major health crises in our nation, such as the opioid crisis, obesity epidemic, and aging population.  Nurse practitioners are well prepared to address these concerns through our background in bedside patient care, our training that emphasizes patient education, therapeutic communication, and holistic care, and our ability to collaborate with other members of the healthcare team. 

I have moved three times during my career as an NP.  In two states, I could not practice unless I established agreements with physicians in the communities, which was extremely difficult without any history or work relationships in the areas.  In order to work, I sought employment at existing health care practices with supervising physicians.  These options provided me with great experience, but did not facilitate my goal to care for under- or uninsured populations.  I believe that reducing barriers for NP practice will strengthen the healthcare workforce in Virginia, will improve healthcare access, and will address the major health issues in the Commonwealth and nationwide.  

As a NP in Virginia for 23 years, I ask that you please pass the current draft regulations to make sure that HB 793 maintains its original intent to lower barriers to practice for NPs in Virginia. Thank you.

Thank you for supporting this bill, HB793.  Please approve it and support improved health care for all Virginians.

I support the implementation of HB793.

NP will play key roles in improving healthcare outcomes, and I fully support reducing Virginia NP practice restriction. One of the problem is few state including VA State, adapted full practice authority license and practice laws for NPs to obtain written or electronic practice agreements with physician or multidisplinary team. This shows NP has many restricted practices and required supervision to delegate or team management by outside health discipline in order to provide patient care.

I believe NPs education and training is not the same as physicians, even though physician and NPs possess a similar goal of improving patient outcomes, barriers to successful collaboration exist. As NPs obtaining admitting privileges to acute care facilities, possess significant obstacle for continuity of care, patient outcome and coordination of patient care. This impact areas of NP management, health policy, and risk management, quality control, and diagnosing and managing disease process.

Allowing NPs also to practice autonomously will impact healthcare providers, policy makers, and payers as increasing demand for services. Healthcare professional will be challenged to meet the needs of an aging and diverse population within an emerging NP workforce shortage. In anticipation of the an increased NP healthcare providers that will needed in the future, I support the NPs allowed to practice autonomously, and permit to practice to the full extent of their education  and training. These help build the workforce necessary to meet the country's healthcare needs at large, and contribute their unique skills to the delivery of patient-centered acute care and community setting healthcare.

The Virginia Association of Free & Charitable Clinics supports full implementation of HB793 (signed by the governor on 4/4/18). By allowing NPs to practice up to the full extent of their license and training, Virginia will help improve access to healthcare for thousands of vulnerable patients across the commonwealth. NPs are highly skilled and caring professionals with the best interest of patients central to their treatment plans. NPs provide high quality care often under difficult circumstances. Without their support of free clinics and our patients, hundreds if not thousands, of patients would not have access to care. VAFCC supports regulations that do not hinder access for patients or providers to delivering care.

Virginians are counting on our boards to delivery regulations that are consistent wth the legislation recently passed that would allow clients to have better access to well-qualified nurse practitioners. With the expansion of Medicaid in our state we will have even more demand for the primary care and prevention services that nurse practitioners can so expertly provide. 

To facilitate improved access to well qualified nurse practitioners for the citizens of Virginia I support and strongly urge you to support the draft regulations as adopted by the Regulatory Advisory Panel to implement HB793. With the recent expansion of Medicaid in Virginia demand for access to quality health care provided by well qualified nurse practitioners has become even more important.

Please consider passing HB793 without further delay or changes.

I am in support of HB 793 being passed as is, without change or delay, and encourage consideration of the need for NPs to be able to meet the Commonwealth's needs without any additional restrictions. 

The draft regulations support the intent of HB 793. Please support these proposed regulations!