White Coats on Call Recap

James Pickral

By James Pickral
PSV Lobbyist

Several PSV members attended White Coats on Call this year with the Medical Society of Virginia. Physicians and students spent the morning at the General Assembly building in Richmond meeting with legislators. They discussed a range of issues including:

Certificate of Public Need (COPN)
COPN was the focus of healthcare legislation during the 2016 session. There were numerous bills filed to reform the current process. While reform didn't happen this year, COPN will once again be a major focus in 2017.

Preserving Team-Based Care
There were several bills introduced that would have allowed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to practice independently. Most of these bills were defeated and a compromise reached establishing a telemedicine pilot program.

Step Therapy
Several bills dealing with step therapy were introduced. These bills sought to either streamline the process or prohibit step therapy all together. These bills were not successful but will return in 2017.

Catawba Hospital
There was language in the Governor's introduced budget to fund plans for the closure of Catawba. PSV and other groups were successful in having this money stripped from the final budget.

Thanks to all who participated in our White Coats on Call day and to all of those who assisted with PSV's legislative priorities.

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A Resident’s Perspective of White Coats on Call

By Peter Breslin, MD
VCU Chief Resident

The day of White Coats on Call was filled with energy, enthusiasm and anxiety. The thought of appealing to our legislators regarding mental health was intimidating to say the least. However, with the help of experienced mentors such as Dr. Helen Foster, Dr. Susan Waller, James Pickral and Andrew Mann, we as a group were able to direct our passion about mental health toward those who mattered. Senator Creigh Deeds was among many of the legislative members that listened to us with open ears and an open heart. His own experience in advocating for mental health encouraged all of us to stay strong throughout the day as well as at future opportunities to support mental health. We are very thankful for the many residents who came to spread their passion and we look forward to seeing many more residents attending future events.

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