State Rep Update June 2021

As we come out of the COVID pandemic and look back at the past 16 months we should feel in incredible sense of pride in our profession, who we are, and what we have achieved.  We have learned new skills, including telehealth, and obtained expanded reimbursement for audio only encounters.  We have learned to cope with job loss, diminishing staff, sicker patients, and an overwhelming increase in mental health crises. 

Some have called 2021 the year of transitions: job change, location change, personal change and decisions to create a more meaningful life.

Personally, I have opted to resign my AANP State Representative a year early to concentrate on other issues.  It has been my honor to serve the NPs in the District of Columbia at the federal level.  It is my pleasure to introduce Captain Joel Dulaigh, ACNP-BC, FAANP, who will take over my position this month.  I am totally confident in Captain Dulaigh abilities to represent the NPs in the District and will help him transition to this new role. 

To that end, I would like to provide a brief recap of work currently being done on behalf of NPs in DC.  As referenced in my March report, we have a committee investigating the best way to incentivize precepting to encourage NPs to serve as preceptors.  Per the BON data, less than 10% of NPs who work in the District, live in the District.  This creates a dilemma in how to best incentivize serving as a preceptor.  Currently there is a short survey posted on the website or at this link (https://forms.gle/jXbYGfnJF1a83UGBA) to help us gather data to determine the best course of action. 

Also, at the previous member meeting we had a report from our Board of Nursing, Executive Director, Dr. Tonoah Hampton.  She reported that currently they are working on revising the Health Occupation Revision Act (HORA) that relates to Nurse Practitioners in the District.   One of the issues is providing an NP number that corresponds to our DC license.  Currently our DC license reads: RNxxxxxxx.  Our NP licensure will be added, in addition to our RN licensure.

Also Dr. Hampton emphasized the need to be registered on the PDMP, regardless of your Controlled Substance (CS) status. Less than 50% of APRNs in the District have registered for the PDMP and this is a condition of you remaining licensed in the District.   DC Health will begin to levy fines against licenses that have not registered.  https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/prescription-drug-monitoring-program

Finally, thank you to NPADC and special thanks to Laura Worby who has worked tirelessly at the grassroots level in DC.  In the words of Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”