Patients at Risk

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/

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

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.

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

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

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

In the first of a series 'The Nurse Will See You Now,' Bloomberg reporters investigate concerns about nurse practitioner education.

They don’t merely support doctors—NPs increasingly treat patients independently, including in specialty practices and emergency rooms. When they aren’t well trained, the results can be tragic. By Caleb Melby, Polly Mosendz, and Noah Buhayar

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-07-24/is-the-nurse-practitioner-job-boom-putting-us-health-care-at-risk

Patients at Risk podcast episodes with nurses interviewed for the Bloomberg article:
Rayne Thoman, RN - Episodes 13, 14
John Canion, NP - Episodes 91-93

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

There are an estimated 500-750 clinics across the U.S. providing infusions of Ketamine for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. This is big business, estimated to bring in $3.1 billion per year and projected to rise to 6.9 billion by 2030.  But is Ketamine safe and effective? 

Psychiatrist Kristina Kise, MD discusses the use of ketamine infusions in psychiatry, including the potential dangers to patients when physicians are not directly involved in drug oversight.  

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Psychiatrists are increasingly being replaced by non-physician practitioners - psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) and physician assistants (PAs). This webinar explains the difference between a psychiatrist and a PMHNP and reviews the evidence regarding unsupervised care of patients with mental illness by non-physicians.

Link to webinar video: https://youtu.be/djDos6xbRos
Contact me: PatientsAtRisk.com

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Over the last decade, as physicians have increasingly turned to employed practice to cope with declining reimbursement and increased administrative requirements, our role in advocacy has diminished. Doctors are afraid to speak out because we fear being fired and losing our livelihoods.  But without physician advocacy, corporate interests, academic centers, and government agencies are increasingly making decisions contrary to the best interests of patients, including replacing physicians with nonphysician practitioners. It is time for physicians to step up and take back control of healthcare decisions, and one of the best ways to do this is through self-ownership. 

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Arthur Smolensky, MD describes his experience creating a Small Democratic Group (SDG) to take over emergency department staffing from corporate contract management groups.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-smolensky-719806/

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

In today's episode, Teresa Camp-Rogers, MD, MS analyzes a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the journal of the American College of Physicians, entitled 

The article, which seems to call for an expansion of unsupervised practice for NPs, contends that NPs and physicians showed no differences in inappropriate prescribing to seniors based on Beers criteria, however, notes that NPs were overrepresented among clinicians with the highest and lowest rates of inappropriate prescribing. 

Dr. Camp-Rogers points out that since most NPs are practicing under physician supervision, with an estimated 2-6% of NPs practicing without physician supervision, this study may simply prove what other studies have established: the physician-led care model works - NOT that unsupervised practice is safe.  Further, she argues that this study begs a follow-up question: with such variation in potentially inappropriate prescribing by NPs, what do we know about which NPs were in the top and which were in the bottom?  

https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/m23-0827

Get the books! https://www.amazon.com/Imposter-Doctors-Patients-at-Risk/dp/1627344438/

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