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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Amy Giancoli Hartman |
State Rep. Tim Solobay |
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Solobay scope of practice legislation signed into law
HARRISBURG, July 20 – State Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Washington, said his bill to expand the scope of practice for certified registered nurse practitioners was signed into law today by Gov. Ed Rendell.
The newly enacted law will allow certified registered nurse practitioners to perform duties they have already been trained to do but have not been permitted to do under former regulations.
Solobay, who was located at the Veterans Hospital in Pittsburgh, attended the Philadelphia bill-signing ceremony via a live television link. He said he was proud to have sponsored the important health-care reform legislation.
“Allowing Pennsylvania’s nurse practitioners to work to the full extent of their training will greatly reduce our health-care costs,” Solobay said. “They already have the qualifications to perform certain jobs that in the past were reserved to doctors. This bill will allow nurse practitioners to be more active in our hospitals so doctors can use their time more efficiently.”
Practitioners will be authorized to perform and sign off on workers' compensation and cosmetology license physicals, conduct psychiatric evaluations, and order home health and hospice care, medical equipment and physical and occupational therapy for patients.
Solobay’s legislation is part of Rendell’s Prescription for Pennsylvania health-care reform plan. The package aims to improve the quality of and access to health care by reducing health-care acquired infections, expanding the scope of practice for health-care professionals to take the burden off emergency rooms, and ensure that all Pennsylvanians have access to affordable, quality health care. Other scope-of-practice legislation for nurse midwives, dental hygienists and physician assistants, as well as a proposal to reduce hospital-acquired infections, also passed the General Assembly earlier this month and were signed into law today.
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