This month, leading thinkers and practitioners in health care have had public exchanges about many aspects of scope of practice laws, thanks to Politico, the online publication that focuses on politics and government. The issue has grown even more important, says Politico, as the Affordable Care Act has allowed more Americans greater health care coverage. Of course, this is also a key issue for the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, which understands that  allowing nurses to practice to the full extent of their education and training is key to building a healthier America.

For both sessions, the news organization’s executive editor for health care, Joanne Kenen, brought together the “high-level voices” to consider trends and policy options. The results make for interesting reading and viewing (panelists for each are listed below):

• “How Can We Expand Access to Care?” The first forum produced an extensive report, providing an inside assessment based on an exchange among primary and specialty physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, physician assistants and researchers. The working group included Winifred Quinn, PhD, director, Advocacy and Consumer Affairs at the Center for Champion Nursing in America.
• “Health Care Briefing: Scope of Practice in the ACA Era”: This in-depth panel conversation over the course of an hour included perspectives on many facets from a physician, physician assistant, registered nurse, and researcher. One question asked of the experts: What impact the proposed rule by Veterans Affairs might have on other health institutions. (The question is asked at 50:21.) “I’m hoping it will have an impact,” is how Tammi L. Damas, PhD, MBA, WHNP-BC, RN began her thoughtful response.

The working group reflected in the report:
Dan Diamond, Author, POLITICO Pulse, POLITICO
Meredith Dixon, MBA, MSN, APRN-BC, Associate Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer, CVS Health
Elena Eisman, Associate Executive Director, Governance Operations, Practice, American Psychological Association (APA)
Wanda Filer, MD, MBA, President, Board of Directors, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Jeffrey Katz, PA-C, DFAAPA, President and Chair of the Board, American Academy of PAs (AAPA)
Joanne Kenen, Executive Editor, Health Care, POLITICO
Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and Medical Director, American Psychiatric Association (APA)
Diane Padden, PhD, CRNP, FAANP, Vice President, Practice and Partnerships, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
Angela Patterson, MS, FNP-BC, Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer, CVS Health
Polly Pittman, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management; Co-Director, Health Workforce Institute, George Washington University
Winifred Quinn, PhD, Director, Advocacy and Consumer Affairs, Center for Champion Nursing in America
Karen Scipio-Skinner, MSN, RN, Executive Director, District of Columbia Board of Nursing; Director-at-Large, National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
Dr. Christopher M. Zahn, Col (Ret), USAF, MC, Vice President, Practice Activities American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

The panelists in the hourlong discussion:
Tammi L. Damas, PhD, MBA, WHNP-BC, RN, Associate Dean, Division of Nursing, College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Howard University
Jeffrey Katz, PA-C, DFAAPA, President and Chair of the Board, American Academy of PAs
Patricia Pittman, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management; Co-Director, Health Workforce Institute, George Washington University
Eugene Rich, MD, Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Health Care Effectiveness, Mathematica Policy Research