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- AMA, CAP Urge VA to Reconsider Scope of Practice Changes for Nonphysicians
The CAP and the American Medical Association (AMA), along with over 100 other health care and medical professional groups, opposed the recent action taken by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that proposes that nonphysicians can provide health care services that are outside their scope of practice. The VA is proposing to invoke the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution to preempt state and local scope-of-practice laws as it develops national standards of practice, enabling nonphysicians to provide health services and procedures outside their scope of medical practice. The CAP strongly advocates to protect patients and the pathologists’ scope of practice.
In a July 26 letter, the CAP, AMA, and several other medical groups opposed the recent Federal Supremacy Project that would develop national standards of practice for 48 health care occupations at VA. This could enable nurses, physician assistants, and other nonphysicians to provide services and perform procedures outside the scope of their knowledge and licensure. The groups also questioned the feasibility of developing a single national standard of practice for all VA-employed physicians.
In the letter, the groups stated that they “believe the VA has failed to consider that these health professionals do not operate in isolation but rather as a team. Yet, the VA is creating and moving standards forward independent of one another. To provide the best care for our Veterans, the VA must engage in a systematic examination of how all these standards will fit together and affect the health professional team.” The groups further urged the VA to reconsider its plans.