In February, the California Future Health Workforce Commission released a plan to address the state’s serious and growing shortages of primary care and behavioral health providers. One of the Commission’s top recommendations was to maximize the role of nurse practitioners (NPs) and to expand their practice authority. In doing so, they noted that California is one of 28 states — and the only western state — that restricts NPs by requiring them to work with physician oversight.

CHCF hosted a briefing — with experts from Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada — on what California can learn from other states that have expanded practice authority for NPs.

Presentations

• What existing research says about the impact of expanded authority for NPs on access, quality, and cost of care
• Specific policy approaches that other states have applied, including how they define autonomous practice, how many hours of training are required, and who regulates NP practice
• Lessons California can learn from the data and experiences of other states

Presenters

• How Scope of Practice Laws Impact Care — Joanne Spetz, PhD, Associate Director of Research at HealthForce Center at UCSF
• Nevada — Susan S. VanBeuge, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP, Associate Professor, Director of Clinical and Community Partnerships, UNLV School of Nursing
• Colorado — Tillman Farley, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Salud Family Health Centers
• New Mexico — Elizabeth Holguin, PhD, MPH, MSN, FNP-BC, Medical Director for Community Health with Presbyterian Healthcare Services

For more information, contact Eric Antebi, director of communications.