• Colorado Executive Order Directs Collaborative Scopes of Practice Study

Colorado Executive Order B003 08 was issued by Governor Ritter on February 7th, commissioning a study of collaborative scopes of care and creating the Collaborative Scopes of Practice Advisory Committee.  One CNM must be among the four APN appointees of the 12-member committee.  The Committee will review research regarding expanding and collaborative scopes of practice for APNs, PAs, and dental hygienists.  The study is geared toward identifying systems and settings in which high quality care can be provided by non-physicians and non-dentists to meet the state's provider needs.  A report is due to the Governor and legislature by December 31, 2008.

• Oklahoma Bills Threaten CNM Practice

Oklahoma Senate Bill 1638, the "Non-Physician Practitioners Supervision Act," was introduced on February 4th to institute physician supervision of CNMs and other advanced practice nurses and transfer their oversight from the Board of Nursing to the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. On February 12th, the bill was referred to the Senate Rules Committee.   The bill is sponsored by Senator Susan Paddack.  Oklahoma residents are urged to contact Senator Paddack at (405) 521-5541, and paddack@oksenate.gov.

Oklahoma Senate Bill 1523, sponsored by Senator Debbe Leftwich, has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.  The bill would require physician ownership or direct operation of "retail health clinics" and provide that "non-physician practitioners," including ARNPs, must be under the direct supervision of a physician. Contact Senator Debbe Leftwich at (405) 521-5557 and holland@oksenate.gov.

Please also register opposition to both bills by contacting:

Senate Rules Committee Co-Chair Sean Burrage at (405) 521-5555 and garlick@oksenate.gov.

Senate Rules Committee Co-Chair Mike Schulz at (580) 482-0886 and schulz@oksenate.gov.

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan at (405) 521-5565 and bard@oksenate.gov.

Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee at (405) 521-5636 and coffee@oksenate.gov.

Oklahoma residents may also find their State Senators and Representatives at www.capitolconnect.com/oklahoma.

• Coalition organizations
  
• Coalition background paper

• Kaisernetwork.org spotlighted the Coalition's efforts.
  

• CQ HealthBeat covered the issue in this short article from June 9, 2006.
  

• ACNM Professional Services staff discussed this issue in a recent issue of The Advocate.  (The Advocate is reserved for ACNM members only.)

• The ACNM/ACOG Joint Statement
• Defintion of a Certified Nurse-Midwife/Certified Midwife
• Standards for Practice of Midwifery
  

• The Texas Medical Association introduced the following resolution at the AMA Interim Meeting in November 2005.  The resolution and motion which changed the language provide the framework for their work.  A Speak Out Alert provides the backround information and ACNM's plan for advocacy regarding this issue.
• A March 9th editorial in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution discusses the AMA's efforts in Georgia as well as the pending Georgia APRN prescriptive authority legislation. (You may have to register to access the article.)

• E-mail Joanna King, ACNM Senior Policy Analyst.