Debbie
Raymond RN, CCP
This presentation will
provide an overview of the history and current status of the AmSECT Government
Relations Program. Initial program
development, early experience with reactive and proactive legislative action,
and the steps toward program maturation will be described in order to assist the
attendee in understanding why government relations participation has become a
required aspect of health care practice.
Since the inception of the program in 1990, nine states have achieved state legal credentialing. By the close of 2003, eight additional states may be added to this list. Through the development and use of model licensing legislation, efforts to ensure uniformity of professional standards across all states have been largely successful. However, despite these efforts, some variations in state law have resulted. Factors driving these variations include the unique needs of certain states practitioners and citizens, the need to satisfy opposing groups, the year of enactment, and the bureaucratic structure of the states regulatory arm for health care oversight. To date, these variations have not resulted in additional barriers for eligibility for licensure as a perfusionist and have allowed state governments to maintain control of health care practitioner oversight.
Challenges to the achievement of nationwide credentialing include cost, small perfusionist population states, and perfusionists failure to recognize the value of legal credentialing. Sponsoring state legislation requires commitment, time, money, energy, and, to some extent, luck.
Understanding the risk of failure to pursue legal credentialing is the key to achieving the necessary motivation for successful legislative action. Discussion includes questions every perfusionist should consider when evaluating their professional risk. Additional questions cover the potential risk that patients undertake by lack of legal credentialing for perfusionists. Finally, attendees are invited to make their own decision regarding the pursuit of legal credentialing of perfusionists.
< Back to conference program >
