b'PEP-PAC UpdateBy Michael Boyd, MDAmerican Rescue Plan funding andthat the waiting room patients and those allocate it along recommendations madeunable to access care don\'t have nurses or by the newly formed Behavioral Healthproviders at all and that ED nurses dont Commission on Adult Mental Health in thehave luxury of refusing surges of patients state General Assembly.This bill passedsecondary to ratios.the PA-House in June 2023, but final detailsThis preposterous, short-sided bill actually are yet to be determined.PACEP needspassed the PA House. Thankfully, it is Emergency Physicians giving practical,currently stalled in the Senate.PACEP needs concrete solutions to our lawmakers so thatyour support in educating lawmakers about the money is allocated effectively.PEP-PACthe disastrous unintended consequences is a means to that end. of strict nurse ratios.The real solution Nursing unions and their advocacy groupsis to increase the nursing workforce via Michael Boyd, MDrecently displayed a prime example ofworkforce training, incentives, expanding PEP-PAC Chair effective lobbying. Unfortunately theirnursing school enrollment, and grants and win is our loss. The PA House passed HBstudent loan payments for nurses agreeing The Pennsylvania Emergency106 "The Patient Safety Act" sponsoredto work in an inpatient setting.Physicians Political Action Committeeby Thomas Mehaffie D-Dauphin. HBIt is analogous to saying that class sizes in (PEP-PAC) is the lobbying arm of106 would add to our boarding crisis byour public schools are too large, so let\'s PACEP. At its core, lobbying is aFor instance, it limit classrooms to 15 students per teacher, imposing strict nurse ratios on hospitals.means of educating legislators aboutmandates that aand since there aren\'t issues affecting us. PEP-PAC uses itsMedical-Surgicalenough teachers to resources to attend fundraisers withnurse is assignedPACEP needs your support inenact this plan, the lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,no more thaneducating lawmakers aboutremainder of students fostering relationships with them so4 patients, anthe disastrous unintendedsimply don\'t go to that they can draw on our expertiseintermediate careconsequences of strict nurseschool.That of course regarding healthcare issues. nurse has no moreratios. The real solutionwould be insanity, than 3 patients,but is exactly the Mental Health, nursing staff ratios, scope ofis to increase the nursingtype of solution they practice and venue shopping are key issuesand intensive careworkforce via workforceare proposing for in front of the PA Legislature. It is imperativenurse has no moretraining, incentives,healthcare.that we make our voices heard regardingthan 2 patients, these issues.with no exceptions.expanding nursing schoolScope of Practice We all know thatenrollment. continues to be In 2022, Pennsylvania authorized $100this governmentanother area of million to be spent to address mentalmandatedconcern for PACEP.health in PA.That money has not yet beenunrealistic staffing scenario will be aNurse Practitioners continue to push for allocated and PACEP needs to be part ofcatastrophe for the ED: if there aren\'tindependent practice.PACEP believes the conversation.The ED is the fulcruminpatient beds secondary to these nursingthat PAs and NPs are valuable, integral bearing the weight of our failed mentalratios, admitted patients board in the ED,members of treatment teams, but a health system.House Bill 849, authoredand the new influx of ED patients waitphysician should lead every care team.by state Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh,for hours on end the waiting room.ThePAs and NPs do not have the training or would take money from one-time federallegislators don\'t seem to realize or careexpertise of a physician. In the 202322 PACEP News | Winter 2024'