Rhode Island House passes bill to boost role of physician assistants
Legislation that would expand the role of physician assistants in medicine passed the state House of Representatives on Thursday despite Republican concerns that it will “water down” the quality of health care.
The bill, introduced by Warwick Democratic Rep. David Bennett, a registered nurse, would allow physician assistants to care for patients without being directly supervised by medical doctors, as long as the two are working “in collaboration.”
It would allow physician assistants to be listed as primary-care providers and would relieve doctors of liability for physician-assistants’ work.
Supporters of the proposal say it would help counter a shortage of doctors coming out of medical school and provide a career pathway for Rhode Islanders that doesn’t require up to seven years of education and an often-crushing debt load.
Read more: https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190503/ri-house-passes-bill-to-boost-role-of-physician-assistants