MSSNY’s Scope of Practice Fight in the Spotlight
Becker’s ASC Review’s article, How one state is fighting scope creep (09/06), highlighted MSSNY’s efforts to stop scope creep. By collaborating with state officials and specialty societies MSSNY defeated fifteen pieces of legislation that would expand the scope of practice for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, allowing them to practice without physician supervision.
An AMA article How scope of practice expansion efforts were defeated in New York, notes The Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) collaborated with numerous state specialty societies to defeat some 15 scope of practice expansions that were proposed in legislation or included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget as she sought to extend “flexibilities” in physician assistant scope of practice that ended when the COVID-19 public health emergency expired. Her budget also included a proposal to let pharmacists order laboratory tests without physician coordination….
Physician assistants “are invaluable members of the coordinated medical team, but they have far more limited education and training compared to what we received in medical school and residency,” MSSNY President Paul A. Pipia, MD, wrote in a letter to colleagues.
“Please remind your legislators that patients are best served by a team-based approach with a skilled physician overseeing and guiding care and urge them to oppose this legislation,” Dr. Pipia added in the letter…read more
