Role of Nurses

VNA Care was honored to host Congressman Jim McGovern at their Worcester offices. Holly Chaffee, President and CEO of VNA Care; Dr. Steve Strongwater, President and CEO of Atrius Health; members of the VNA Care board of directors; and representatives from the Home Care Alliance met to discuss issues of importance to the home health and hospice and palliative care industry.

Another topic of discussion was the importance of reducing regulatory burdens placed on physicians which is a major component of physician burnout.

Dr. Richard Lopez, Chief Medical Officer of VNA Care and Senior Vice President of Population Health for Atrius Health, along with Jennifer Derkarzarian, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, Chief Nursing Officer of Atrius Health, recently testified before the Joint Committee on Public Health in support of legislation that would remove existing restrictions on the licenses of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the state. Atrius Health was among several organizations who testified in support of the bill HB2451/S1257 – “An Act to Contain Health Care Costs and Improve Access to Value-Based Nurse Practitioner Care As Recommended by the IOM and FTC.”

During his testimony,

Dr. Richard Lopez, Chief Medical Officer of Atrius Health, testified earlier this week before the Joint Committee on Public Health in support of legislation that would remove restrictions on the licenses of nurse practitioners in the state (so-called “expanded scope of practice”).  Dr. Lopez was joined by Representative Denise Garlick (D-Needham), one of many legislative sponsors, to urge passage of HB1996 and SB1207, “An Act to Remove the Restrictions on the Licenses of NPs and CRNA’s as recommended by the Institute of Medicine and the Federal Trade Commission.”

During his testimony,

Atrius Health has joined with a number of other healthcare organizations across the state to advocate for legislation that would allow Massachusetts to join the national Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).

The Nurse Licensure Compact allows nurses to have one multistate license, with the ability to practice in both their home state and other compact states. Atrius Health supports substitute language being proposed to House Bill 2002, “An Act Adopting the Nurse Licensure Compact in Massachusetts”,