Ohio’s current laws governing Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) prohibit an APRN to provide necessary health care to their patients. House Bill 216 and Senate Bill 279 have been introduced to remove these unnecessary regulatory restrictions.
Rob Parsons is an Advance Practice Registered Nurse specializing in Psychiatry. Rob is one of the many Psych NP’s who care for hundreds of patients suffering from mental illness in Ohio.
Rob shares his perspective on the need for HB 216 and SB 279.
“Many patients that suffer with severe chronic mental illness will have Medicare as their primary, and often only, insurance. In the area where I work, the vast majority of private practices do not accept Medicare patients. Coleman, the other community mental health agency besides my office, also does not accept Medicare patients. Many of these patients require long-acting injections in order to even begin to function in society. If I wasn’t here, there would be nowhere for these patients to get their medication and they would likely need to be institutionalized.”
Weigh in and share your perspective with your state representative in order to highlight the benefits of HB 216 and SB 279. Also, contact OAAPN Communications Chair Cathy Hoffman by emailing crna91@gmail.com to share your story with your colleagues.