Opinion
Lack of labels boosts policies’ popularity with NC voters
NC voters show strong support for education scholarships, reduced health care regulation, and more freedom for nurses to do their jobs.
News
NC joins lawsuit over health care student loan cuts
NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined a lawsuit filed on Tuesday against the US Department of Education over a new rule that could restrict access to federal student loans for people pursuing professional degree programs in health care-related fields.
Opinion
A smarter way to strengthen NC’s health care workforce
APRNs — including nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives — are highly trained, nationally certified professionals who are already delivering high-quality care across the state. Yet outdated regulatory requirements continue to limit how that care can be delivered in practice.
Opinion
North Carolina must compete for nurses
Before Virginia’s reform, it had significant fewer nurse practitioners per capita than North Carolina did. By 2023, the gap shrank by about half.
Opinion
North Carolina should quit this club
When it comes to regulating nurses, North Carolina is in an increasingly exclusive club. Unfortunately, the cost of our club membership far exceeds any benefits. In most states, nurse practitioners and other advanced-practice nurses have significant authority to treat patients without being subject to the authority of a physician. In Virginia, for example, they enjoy...
Opinion
Give nurses more freedom to practice
In North Carolina, Medicaid expansion is a foregone conclusion. The General Assembly approved the necessary legislation. Gov. Roy Cooper signed it. While expansion is contingent on the passage of a state budget, no one doubts that’ll happen. So, the governor finally secured his highest legislative priority. Republican leaders got a few reforms of the certificate-of-need...
Opinion
Allowing nurses more freedom can save NC from healthcare shortages
Throughout the heated North Carolina Medicaid expansion debate, one word was repeated time and again: supply. Opponents of expansion cited the health care professional shortage as a serious concern that would be exacerbated if over 600,000 individuals were added to the Medicaid rolls. Thankfully, there are some policy reforms that can help alleviate the health-care...
Opinion
Rules of evidence shouldn’t treat Advanced Practice Nurses like second-class providers
In North Carolina, the category of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) includes Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Certified Nurse Midwives, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Nurse Practitioners. APRNs already play an important role in North Carolina’s health care system, and, if the N.C. General Assembly grants them a level of independence commensurate with their training and expertise,...
News
Locke brief urges NC Supreme Court to avoid stifling state’s health care access
The N.C. Supreme Court’s decision in a pending medical malpractice case could help or hinder efforts to boost health care access in North Carolina. The John Locke Foundation makes that argument in a new friend-of-the-court brief filed Wednesday.
Opinion
Should North Carolina expand Medicaid next year?
Rather than consider Medicaid expansion during the lame duck session, Republican leadership in North Carolina has decided to take up the issue in the new General Assembly next year. Their best option in 2023 would be to reject the expansion while adopting two other reforms that were in this year’s house bill. A bill introduced...
Opinion
Should North Carolina expand Medicaid next year?
Rather than consider Medicaid expansion during the lame duck session, Republican leadership in North Carolina has decided to take up the issue in the new General Assembly next year. Their best option in 2023 would be to reject the expansion while adopting two other reforms that were in this year’s house bill. A bill introduced this session proposed both...
Opinion
Amid resurgent pandemic, North Carolina must expand health care access
Health care comes at a premium for many North Carolinians who wait weeks for appointments, travel miles to see a clinician, and endure costly inefficiencies and inequities within the health care system. As a nurse practitioner (NP), I’ve seen firsthand the effects of our state’s outdated health workforce laws ― patients suffering from preventable and...
