Georgia board may reinterpret law affecting nurse practitioners who own practices

VIDALIA, Ga. (WTOC) - The Georgia Composite Medical Board is looking to reinterpret the law that allows advanced practice registered nurses to see patients, a move that could limit healthcare access in rural communities.

The board is taking a second look at a law that interprets how advanced practice registered nurses can run their own practices.

“If you are in rural Georgia right now think about the clinic you walk through today. Did you see an APRN? Did you see a nurse practitioner? Did that nurse practitioner have ownership of that practice? What it means that this ruling goes through that clinic closes its doors tomorrow,” said Nancy Hurlock, president of UAPRN of Georgia.

The board requires APRNs who own their own practice to have oversight by a physician in the same field.

In a statement posted by the board, it says APRNs cannot pay physicians, reading in part: “It is unlawful for a physician to be an employee of an APRN, alone or in combination with others, if the physician is required to supervise the employing APRN.”

The statement leaves APRNs with very few options in how they can remain open.

“If an APRN is told that they cannot collaborate with a physician i.e. I cannot own my practice because in the state of Georgia right now I am required to have that collaboration to be able to have a practice,” Hurlock said.

Hannah Naude, who sees patients in Vidalia, said this could close her down.

“I can’t do an hour drive to go and work for another psychiatrist like this is it,” said Naude, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

Naude said not only could this affect her livelihood but could force her patients to drive hours to get medical care.

“The nearest psychiatrist is about an hour away from here and it’s not only going to affect the rural areas but also everywhere as well,” Naude said.

The Georgia Composite Medical Board did not respond to a request for comment.

The Georgia Composite Medical Board will meet June 4 to further discuss the proposed changes, a meeting that Naude said she will attend to fight for her practice and the patients she sees every day.