Senate Bill 351 Engagement Needed- Mock Email Below!

We need your engagement over the next few days for a couple of fronts. SB 351, the APRN full practice authority bill for rural counties of less than 50K in population will be discussed Tuesday February 20th in the Senate HHS meeting (Room 450 at the Capital). We need two things:

1- We need you to email your personal senator asking them to support this bill and to encourage their colleagues on the HHS committee to vote to move it out of committee; Call and email the members of the Senate HHS committee asking them to support this bill.
There is a "mock" email below that you can personalize and send to either your personal senator or the committee members. The emails and Capitol Office Phone numbers members of the Senate HHS. It will take only about 20 minutes to call all 14 Senator's offices.

2- we need as many nurses/APRNs as possible to attend the HHS committee meeting on Tuesday. Plan to arrive and be seated in the committee room by 1230; we know that MAG will be mobilizing their members to oppose this bill and they will be present in force. Wear your white lab coat and we will give your APRN blue scarf as you arrive. Here is the Sign up Link:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d44a8ae2ba1f85-aprn1

Thank you for engaging on this very important bill!

dean.burke@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-0040

fran.millar@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 463-2260

steve.henson@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-0085

Gloria.butler@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-0075

bill.cowsert@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 463-1366

Chuck.Hufstetler@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-0034

lester.jackson@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 463-5261

greg.kirk@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 463-5258

kay.kirkpatrick@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-3932

William.ligon@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 463-1383

nan.orrock@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 463-8054

david.shafer@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-0048

larry.walker@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-7454

ben.watson@senate.ga.gov
Capitol Office (404) 656-7880

Mock email

Dear Senator XXXX:

I am a constituant, living in XX area of your district. OR
I am writing to you as a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

I am writing to encourage you to vote in favor of SB 351, which will allow APRNs to serve in rural communities/counties without the current geographic and unnecessary regulatory barriers now mandated by state statue.

As you know, the majority of rural counties experience significant access to care issues. There are 49 counties without a primary care provider,79 without an OB provider, 64 without a pediatric provider (based on the most recent data from he GBPW). Georgia has the highest maternal mortality rate in the US and the third highest infant mortality rate in the US. 83% of pregnant women have to leave their home county to seek care and/or to deliver their baby. We have thousands of Georgians who need care and are suffering from chronic disease and APRNs are a highly trained and available workforce that can be deployed immediately to alleviate the suffering and lack of access in these counties.

You You may hear concerns expressed related to safe and quality care provided by APRNs, or that the patients in the rural counties are more complex. There have been multiple studies including the National Governor’s Association, Federal Trade Commission, Institute of Medicine’s Study on the Future of Nursing, and Georgia’s Rural Health Stabilization Committee Report to the Governor (Feb, 2015) ALL recommend full practice authority be granted to advance practice nurses. APRNs have been the "most studied" profession and there is no data to indicate increased quality or safety risk or poor outcomes when care is provider by APRNs vs. physician.

From an economic perspective, Georgia is “Ground Zero” for rural hospital closures. SIX rural GA hospitals have closed since 2013.The closure of the sole community hospital reduces per capita income of every person by average of $704 annually or 4% and unemployment increases by 1.6%.

As you can see, there are multiple positive outcomes to be accomplished from this bill passage and I appreciate your support for SB 351.

Sincerely,

Name
Title

c contact info
https://www.facebook.com/jmcghin/videos/2027976507218192/
Adopted APRN Motto: The World is Run by those that SHOW UP!
Please Spread the word! Family, Friends and Patients can call in support of this bill as well!
Molly