What’s happening?
Healthcare is changing at a rapid pace and PA laws aren’t keeping up. Over the last several years, NCAPA leaders have been working diligently to craft legislation advancing Optimal Team Practice (OTP) in North Carolina.
This year we continue those efforts to PA practice in North Carolina and advance OTP. HB 75/SB 47 PA Team Based Practice was introduced in February and was passed in the House. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.
What does the bill do?
HB 75/SB 47 would ensure that North Carolina remains the best place to practice as a PA. OTP will keep PAs accountable for the care they provide and will keep team-based, collaborative care at the center of patient care and medical decision-making.
The major provisions of the legislation are:
- Establishing a supervised career entry interval of 4,000 clinical hours upon entry into practice for new PAs, and a training interval of 1,000 hours if a PA changes specialty;
- Defining team-based settings as physician-owned practices, medical practices, and licensed health facilities;
- Eliminating the legal requirement for experienced PAs to have a specific relationship with a physician when working in a team-based settings; and
- Requiring PAs to collaborate, consult with, or refer to the appropriate member of the health care team as indicated by the condition of the patient, the education, experience, and competence of the Physician Assistant, and the applicable standard of care;
How can I get involved?
Visit the Support NC PAs site to easily contact your local legislator to let them know you support HB 75/SB 47. Tell them why OTP matters to you and your patients. Talk about you. Tell your story. Share your passion for the PA profession.
How did NCAPA get here?
In 2018, NCAPA traveled across the state to share information and listen to thoughts and concerns PAs have regarding OTP. These listening sessions provided an excellent opportunity for NCAPA leadership to hear directly from PAs in North Carolina. Through those sessions, we learned:
- PAs overwhelmingly support OTP and want NCAPA to work toward modernizing our practice laws.
- PAs take immense pride in their profession and are dedicated to ensuring NC is the best place to practice as a PA.
- PAs are committed to working in healthcare teams, and Optimal Team Practice aligns with that commitment.
- PAs care deeply for their patients and don’t want legislative or regulatory limitations to come between them and providing the best care for their patients.
Based on PA input in North Carolina, NCAPA began working with stakeholders to develop support and craft OTP legislation. We are working hard to make it a reality!
Ultimately, our goal is that this work will result in a modern practice environment emphasizing team-based care and ensures North Carolina is the best state to be a PA.
