Patients at Risk

Latest Episodes:

BONUS EPISODE: Webinar on NP/ PA Unsupervised Practice of Medicine (UPM) Legislative Trends Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Rebekah Bernard discusses the legislative trends and impacts of allowing non-physician practitioners (NPs and PAs) to practice medicine unsupervised. She highlights the extensive training and hours required for physicians compared to the significantly less training for NPs and PAs. Bernard explains how legislative changes have allowed NPs and PAs to practice independently in many states, often with less experience and training compared to physicians. She delves into the history of physician shortage concerns, influenced by flawed reports from the 1980s that led to restricted physician production and the promotion of NPs and PAs as substitutes. Bernard outlines the growth of NP and PA roles, the diluted quality of NP education, and the increasing trend of independent practice. The talk also addresses the disparities in healthcare quality and outcomes when care is provided by non-physician practitioners instead of physicians. Bernard advocates for prioritizing the production of properly trained physicians and ensuring physician-led care as well as holding NP leadership accountable for maintaining educational standards.

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

"My NP education was not designed for independent practice": From RN to NP to Physician Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Denise Weiss always wanted to be a physician, but circumstances led her into nursing. She earned an associate's degree as a registered nurse, and then became a family nurse practitioner. After several years of practice, she realized that her education had not prepared her for independent practice, and she decided to return to school to become a physician. Now a practicing anesthesiologist, Dr. Weiss explains the differences between nursing and medical education, and why physician-led care matters.
PatientsAtRisk.com

Get the books, available in paperback, eBook, and Audible:

Patients at Risk: https://www.amazon.com/Patients-Risk-Practitioner-Physician-Healthcare/dp/1627343164

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

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

"I have permanent nerve damage after filler by a RN - and the Board of Nursing did nothing about it" May 27, 2025

Show notes

A patient shares her story of receiving the wrong type of filler into her face by a registered nurse, leading to severe and permanent nerve damage. Francesca explains that the RN, who was in NP school at the time, was not being supervised, and worked in a for-profit clinic owned by a non-physician.
While some may argue, "Let the Buyer Beware," Francesca believes that patients are not be in the position to fully understand the qualifications of clinicians being permitted to perform medical procedures, and asks legislators to protect patients like her.
Tell us your story: https://www.physiciansforpatientprotection.org/patient-resources/tell-us-your-story/
Learn more: PatientsAtRisk.com

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

AAPA survey claims that physicians support PA independent practice Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

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

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

New study: 7.4% of EDs are staffed by NP/PAs with NO physician on-site Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

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
Send me an email through the contact link www.PatientsAtRisk.com

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

CDC considers allowing NP/PAs to read complex x-rays: Pulmonologist explains the dangers Feb 23, 2025

Show notes

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

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Regaining Patient Trust: The Importance of Physician Advocacy Feb 05, 2025

Show notes

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.

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

What we can learn from legislator questions on scope of practice Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

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

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Texas Scope of Practice Hearing Part 2: NP testimony Dec 08, 2024

Show notes

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

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

Scope of Practice testimony at the Texas Legislature: Part 1 (Economic Impact) Nov 17, 2024

Show notes

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

PhysiciansForPatientProtection.org

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