In February 2025, the AAPA published a press release entitled: 'AAPA Releases Survey Showing Physician Support for Removing Barriers to PA Practice.'   According to AAPA President Jason Prevelige (DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA), the survey proved that, “Physicians recognize the need for change. It’s time to modernize these laws so healthcare teams can focus on what matters most, patient care.” But what did this survey REALLY show? Chandani Patel DeZure, MD, joins me to unpack the details.

Links:
https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2025/02/aapa-releases-survey-showing-physician-support-for-removing-barriers-to-pa-practice/
https://www.aapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AAPA_Morning-Consult-Survey.pdf

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Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Doctors-Patients-at-Risk/dp/1627344438

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Emergency physician Dr. Deborah Fletcher is an author of the first study to evaluate physician presence in Emergency Departments across the country. She discusses the findings, including that 7.4% of all EDs have NO physician on-site, and of those, 3% have no ability for the NP/PA staffing the ED to discuss patient care with a physician.

Emergency physician Dr. Mercy Hylton discusses the dangers of this practice, including concerns from nurse researchers regarding variability and lack of standards for nurse practitioners working in EDs, and her effort to help Indiana become the first state to require that all emergency departments must have a physician on-site.
 
https://www.jacepopen.com/article/S2688-1152(25)00008-6/fulltext
https://www.journalofnursingregulation.com/article/S2155-8256(22)00010-2/abstract

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Pulmonologist / Intensivist Gary Dudek, MD, joins me to discuss the CDC's call for comments regarding allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to become National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 'B Readers'. 

B-Readers are highly trained radiologists (medical school graduates with at least five years of residency as well as additional training in this particular type of x-ray) that read and interpret annual screening chest x-rays done on coal, silica, and asbestos workers to look for early signs of a lung condition called pneumoconiosis. 

According to radiologists, these x-rays are notoriously difficult to read, and a misread can be a matter of life or death.  Dr. Dudek discusses why allowing NPPs to read these x-rays is the wrong decision.

Comment by March 17, 2025: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2024-0103-0001

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Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD FACP, an internal medicine physician, author, patient advocate, and ally to colleagues discusses how physicians can fight for patients.

Trust in physicians has plummeted in the last few years (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821693), making it more and more difficult for doctors to do their jobs, and potentially leading to a negative impact on patient care. While many point to handling of the COVID pandemic as the cause of growing distrust, a larger part of the problem may be that ordinary physicians virtually no control over the healthcare system or even the day-to-day practice of medicine.

Dr Baumgaertal (myMDadvocate) discusses her fight to help physicians regain the trust of our patients by making sure that they get the best care. 

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On September 17, 2024, the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee held an interim hearing on scope of practice expansion for nurse practitioners and other clinicians. In this third episode related to that hearing, Texas Medical Association (TMA) president Ray Callas MD discusses the importance of physician oversight for nonphysician practitioners and answers questions from legislators.

Importantly, Dr. Callas notes that in the past, TMA was asked by legislators to 'come to the table' to collaborate with nurse practitioners and to loosen supervision as a compromise to independent practice. But complying with this request is now being used as rationale for removing oversight completely, with legislators arguing, "Well, if you don't need to be on site / can supervise multiple NPs, then are you even necessary?" 

Learn more! https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Doctors-Patients-at-Risk/dp/1627344438/

Support our vision of physician-led care and truth and transparency for all medical practitioners: physiciansforpatientprotection.org

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 In the last episode, you heard some of my testimony at the Texas Interim Legislature hearing on Scope of Practice. Today you're going to hear from a nurse practitioner, Holly Jeffries, who is practicing in rural Texas.

Her testimony was particularly impactful and really quite persuasive to legislators. I think it's important to understand the NP point of view and also learn the concerns of legislators by listening to their line of questioning.

Referenced in the podcast:
Facts about NP primary care numbers (HRSA shows much fewer doing primary care than AANP represents): https://youtu.be/AqyUdQZ-9fY

Supervising physicians sued without ever seeing or being consulted on a patient: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/990494?form=fpf
https://youtu.be/GlfPSnHgC1A
https://www.jucm.com/supervising-doctors-may-be-held-liable-in-malpractice-suits/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/acep/106708

Increasing rates of malpractice and adverse reports for NPs: 
https://youtu.be/EOeGhR2uUSU

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On September 17, 2024, the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee held an interim hearing on scope of practice expansion for nurse practitioners and other clinicians. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) invited Rebekah Bernard, MD to testify regarding the economic impact of NP independence.

In part 1 of this series, we hear the NP expert witness, economist Alicia Plemons, followed by Dr. Bernard's testimony, along with questioning from the committee.

Learn more! https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Doctors-Patients-at-Risk/dp/1627344438/

Support our vision of physician-led care and truth and transparency for all medical practitioners: physiciansforpatientprotection.org

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Christopher Garofolo, MD, unpacks the many errors shared by a more seasoned NP to a brand new NP seeking advice on a Facebook post.

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Doctors-Patients-at-Risk/dp/1627344438/

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On the last podcast, I interviewed Dr. Anu Shokla who shared her story of her newborn baby being treated for an emergency rapid response by a nurse practitioner who had just rotated with her on the inpatient adult hematology oncology service.

After hearing that podcast, Dr. Carol Nelson reached out to share a story of the alternate version: her newborn granddaughter was saved because of the outstanding care from well-trained physicians and non-physicians working together in a physician-led care team.

Please enjoy this inspiring and uplifting story of why physician training matters.

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Primary care physician Anu Shukla shares a personal story about the dangers that patients face when physicians are replaced with nonphysician practitioners.

Dr. Shukla's comments on this podcast reflect her views and opinions. She does not speak for or represent her employer.

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patientsatrisk.com

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