PA: Urgent---Help defeat House Bill 823 restricting CRNA practice

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

CRNA Legislation Up For Committee Review Oct. 23 -- Immediate Action Needed!

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/wu01/li/bi/all/2001/0/hb0823.htm

House Bill 823 will be reviewed by the Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee on October 23, 2001. HB 823, which was introduced by Representative Civera was passed by the House of Representatives on June 6, 2001. This bill will go before the full Senate for a vote if it is passed by the Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee.

The overall intent of this bill is to amend the Medical Practice Act and require that certified registered nurse anesthetists in the state of Pennsylvania be supervised by a physician who is physically present in the health care facility when the

anesthesia is administered. The term "supervision" in the definition of the bill means medical direction by the qualified physician, and provides for the State Board of Medicine to promulgate regulations which define medical practice. PSNA Strongly opposes this bill.

Immediate Action Needed

Contact members of the Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee to express your opposition to House Bill 823. Call, email, fax, or write these Senators today!

Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee Members

The Honorable Clarence D. Bell, Chair

Senate of Pennsylvania

20 East Wing

Senate Box 203009

Harrisburg, PA 12020

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

280 N. Providence Road

Media, PA 19063-3525

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Lisa M. Boscola

Senate of Pennsylvania

183 Main Capitol Building

Senate Box 203018

Harrisburg, PA 12020

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

548 North New Street

Bethlehem, PA 18018

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Gerald J. LaValle

Senate of Pennsylvania

458 Main Capitol Building

Senate Box 203047

Harrisburg, PA 12020

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

239 Brighton Avenue

Rochester, PA 15074

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Charles W. Dent

Senate of Pennsylvania

460 Capitol Building

Senate Box 203016

Harrisburg, PA 12020

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

801 Hamilton Street

Allentown, PA 18101

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Jeffery E. Piccola

Senate of Pennsylvania

171 Main Capitol

Senate Box 203015

Harrisburg, PA 12020

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

27 South Market Street

Elizabethville, PA 17023

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Stewart Greenleaf

Senate of Pennsylvania

19 East Wing

Senate Box 203012

Harrisburg, PA 17120

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

27 N. York Road

Willow Grove, PA 19090-3419

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Mary Jo White

Senate of Pennsylvania

168 Main Capitol Building

Senate Box 203021

Harrisburg, PA 17120

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

1256 Liberty Street, Suite B

PO Box 774

Franklin, PA 16323

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Vincent J. Fumo

Senate of Pennsylvania

545 Main Capitol Building

Senate Box 203001

Harrisburg, PA 17120

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

1208 Tasker Street

Philadelphia, PA 19148

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Allen G. Kukovich

Senate of Pennsylvania

185 Capitol Building

Senate Box 203039

Harrisburg, PA 17120

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

10526 Old Trail Road

Hauger Professional Building

North Huntingdon, PA 15642

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

The Honorable Robert M. Tomlinson

Senate of Pennsylvania

188 Main Capitol Building

Senate Box 203050

Harrisburg, PA 17120

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[email protected]

or

2307 Bristol Pike, Suite 3

Bensalem, PA 19020

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

PSNA Opposes HB 823

This bill is unacceptable for many reasons and must be strongly opposed. CRNAs have been providing quality anesthesia in cooperation with a physician in Pennsylvania for many years. They are competent to administer anesthesia without direct medical supervision. This proposed bill would contradict the recent HCFA ruling that CRNAs would not be required to have direct supervision.

This bill, if enacted, would negatively impact small, rural and underserved areas. The bill would also put responsibility for promulgating regulations defining medical practice under the State Board of Medicine. After struggling 20 plus years to have the

joint boards (Nursing and Medicine) promulgate regs enabling CRNPs to prescribe, there is reason to believe this scenario could be repeated.

PSNA believes that CRNAs are competent to administer anesthesia without supervision and this bill is a solution in search of a problem. PSNA strongly opposes another group of advanced practice nurses being jointly regulated by the Board of Nursing and the Board of Medicine.

CRNA's in PA have been administering anesthesia in collaboration with physicians for 80 years without always having their collaborator in house....they know when surgery requires the presence of an anesthesiologist in house/OR suite.

Don't allow another function of advanced nurses to be restricted...remember, nurses were the one originally administering ether BEFORE physician specialists were created!

Karen