Advocacy Correspondence: Support Memo, Senate Bill 115

March 23, 2021

TO:  Members of the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee

FROM:  The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

SUBJECT:  Support Nurse Licensure Compact Bill—Senate Bill 115

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), on behalf of its members— more than 240 acute and specialty hospitals and health systems—appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the proposed legislation authorizing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, Senate Bill 115. HAP asks for your support in allowing Pennsylvania to join these progressive steps to bolster Pennsylvania’s health care workforce and ensure access to care. Please vote “yes” on Senate Bill 115 as introduced.

In January of 2020, HAP published recommendations compiled by an industry-wide, practitioner diverse task force, “Addressing Pennsylvania’s Health Care Workforce Challenges,” that highlighted the health care workforce needs of the commonwealth to ensure access to quality care. Joining compacts, like the nurse licensure compact, enables Pennsylvania’s patient population to leverage the nation’s entire health care workforce and brings the commonwealth closer to meeting those needs.

The task force also recommended:

• Progressive professional practice acts and regulations
• Continued advocacy for the efficient and timely application process for licensure and re- licensure by the commonwealth’s professional licensing boards
• Aligned governmental regulations and programs to reduce the administrative burdens on the caregivers within Pennsylvania’s health care delivery system
• Continued efforts to promote and support patient-centered care

By passing Senate Bill 115, the commonwealth would be taking preliminary but necessary steps to support the health care workforce of the future.

Thank you in advance for your support.

 

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Topics: State Advocacy

Revision Date: 3/23/2021

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