HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 9

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Nathan "Nate" Cote

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO PRACTICE FOR ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES, NURSE-MIDWIVES AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND THE EFFECT THESE BARRIERS HAVE ON PATIENTS' ACCESS TO CARE AND TO MAKE LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REMOVING THESE BARRIERS.

     WHEREAS, the May 15, 2013 department of health and allied agencies' adequacy of New Mexico's health care systems work force report states that New Mexico's health care work force cannot adequately meet the current demand for health care services, let alone meet the expected additional demands for health care services by the newly insured starting in 2014; and

     WHEREAS, the report shows that New Mexico's health care work force is poorly distributed throughout the state, resulting in significant disparities in access to care based on where patients live; and

     WHEREAS, the report indicates that the state should reduce barriers to work force expansion for all providers; and

     WHEREAS, the report says that access to primary care services can be enhanced through the expanded use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants; and

     WHEREAS, the report states that New Mexico has successfully integrated nine hundred seventy nurse practitioners into the state's health care work force because the Nursing Practice Act is expansive enough to allow nurse practitioners to practice independently with the power to prescribe; and

     WHEREAS, thirty-six percent of all vaginally born babies are delivered by New Mexico's one hundred sixty certified nurse-midwives, making New Mexico number one in the nation for births by nurse-midwives; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico licenses five hundred seventy-seven physician assistants to work under physician supervision; and

     WHEREAS, the report suggests that New Mexico's health care professional licensing boards conduct a comprehensive review of all health care professional practice acts to judiciously reduce barriers to health care work force expansion;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of health be requested to convene a task force to identify statutory provisions that create obstacles to the ability of nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives and physician assistants to function at their full scopes of practice; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be requested to recommend potential changes in scopes of practice for nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives and physician assistants; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of health invite as members of the task force representatives from the New Mexico nurse practitioner council, the American college of nurse midwives New Mexico chapter, the New Mexico nurses association, the New Mexico medical society, the New Mexico osteopathic medical association, the greater Albuquerque medical association, the New Mexico academy of physician assistants and those other experts the secretary deems appropriate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico legislative council direct the legislative council service to assist the task force in reviewing New Mexico statutes; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force present its recommendations to the legislative health and human services committee by October 1, 2014; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of health, the president pro tempore of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the chair of the legislative health and human services committee for the 2014 interim and the director of the legislative council service.

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