On Tuesday, August 13, 2013 Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett will hold a ceremonial bill signing for SB 5, Community-Based Health Care Clinics, at 2 pm at the Crozer Keystone Health System, Clark Center Lobby.  SB 5, sponsored by Senator Ted Erickson (R-26), provides for the establishment of the Community-Based Health Care Program within the Department of Health, paving the way for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) – certified registered nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified registered nurse anesthetists – to receive grant funding to provide greater access to health care services. These bills were passed in the House by a vote of 195-0 and the Senate by a vote of 49-0.  Governor Corbett signed the bill into law on May 21, 2013 (Act 10 of 2013).

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA), representing more than 211,000 registered nurses in Pennsylvania, supported SB 5 and the inclusion of APRNs within the legislation. APRNs open, manage and maintain clinics across the Commonwealth. In today’s changing health care environment, APRNs deliver high-quality and cost-effective primary care, and reduce overall health care costs by expanding and improving access to the underserved and uninsured. PSNA has been invited to stand with the Governor during the ceremonial bill signing.

“PSNA thanks Governor Corbett and the General Assembly for working to improve health care access and services for Pennsylvanians,” stated PSNA Chief Executive Officer Betsy M. Snook, MEd, BSN, RN. “We are proud to stand alongside the Governor during these transformative times in health care.”