Pennsylvania Governor Takes First Steps Toward Health Care Reform

Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell on Friday signed into law the first parts of a health care reform plan, Prescription for Pennsylvania. The Governor acknowledged that additional health care reform plans need to be passed into law; once these plans are passed into law, Pennsylvanians will have access to a program which has received national accolades as being one of the most complete state health reform plans to date.

Governor Rendell signed the health care reform bills at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing. The health care reform bills Governor Rendell signed will target eliminating hospital acquired infections and will expand limitations that certified registered nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and dental hygienists are currently facing in their careers. Legislators and stakeholders at the VA Healthcare System Division in Pittsburgh had access to the signing ceremony through Webcast.

The Prescription for Pennsylvania was written in order to increase affordable health care coverage access to Pennsylvania residents who do not currently have health care. The Prescription was also created in order to improve health care quality and to help businesses and employees by controlling health care costs.

The General Assembly has approved the first set of bills. These bills will give patients the resources they need in order to have access to decent health care wherever, and whenever, they need it. These bills will also curb health care costs by expanding legal practicing abilities for dental hygienists, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, and physician assistants. For example, nurse midwives in Pennsylvania will now be able to prescribe medications for their patients. The new legislation will also allow dental hygienists to work on some specific functions without the direct supervision of a dentist; currently there are more than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians who live in an area that has been federally designated as a dental health professional shortage area.