Gov. Turns To Nurses To Offset Decline In Primary Care Physicians

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Most of us who work in medicine are aware that there is a growing doctor shortage—particularly in the area of primary care.

One of the ways the government plans to deal with this is to rely more and more on advanced practice nurses and physician assistants who could theoretically practice at the top of their licenses and be unsupervised by physicians.

The latest example came a few weeks ago when the VA announced a potential policy change that would allow advanced practice nurses to work independently within the VA healthcare system, overriding any state or local laws that might restrict such a practice. The American Medical Association slammed the VA for robbing patients of physician expertise.

The battle lines are being drawn with experts on both sides weighing in.