A Note from Your VCNP President
Governor Northam will not renew the COVID state of emergency when it expires on June 30. This means that Virginia’s NPs will need a practice agreement or autonomous practice licensure beginning July 1. Thanks to the success of House Bill 1737, NPs with at least two years of clinical experience are eligible to apply for autonomous practice licensure. The application has been updated on the Board of Nursing web site, and applications are now being accepted. 
 
If you have at least two years of clinical experience (equivalent to 3,600 hours), you have two options –
  • Apply for autonomous practice licensure
  • Re-enter a practice agreement
Note that you will receive an email when your application is approved. You will not receive a new license until your next license renewal.
Make your voice heard
Please take two minutes, and let us know how you’re improving access to health care in Virginia. This information will be helpful when we’re talking with legislators and preparing for the 2022 General Assembly session. If you’ve already responded, thank you.
Graduation time
Congratulations to these recent graduates – Kelly M. Lewandoski, MSN, BSBA, RN, PCCN (UVA Master’s in Family Practice) and Sarah J. Bhatt, DNP, FNP-BC, BSN, RN (George Mason’s DNP program).
 
If you’re graduating from an NP or DNP program, send us your name, credentials and program you’re graduating from so we can recognize you in future VCNP communications. Don’t forget to send a photo if you have one.
Medicare increases payments for at-home COVID-19 vaccinations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced an additional payment amount for administering in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to Medicare beneficiaries who have difficulty leaving their homes or are otherwise hard-to-reach. More information on Medicare payment for COVID-19 vaccine administration – including a list of billing codes, payment allowances and effective dates – is available below.
Advanced practice provider lectures
APP2APP Virtual Lectures, Inc. is a national Advanced Practice Provider corporation that allows APPs to share knowledge with colleagues via delivery of high quality, free or low-cost, up-to-date virtual lectures focused on day-to-day clinical practice. For further information on live and recorded virtual lectures, visit www.app2app.org. Note that lectures do not offer CE credit.
Virginia vaccine updates
As of June 17, more than 4.1 million Virginians had been fully vaccinated, and more than 4.8 million Virginians had received one dose. Every person 12 years and older in the United States is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, although only the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has received emergency authorization for anyone under age 18.
 
Please encourage your patients, family and friends to use Virginia’s centralized system to preregister for free COVID-19 vaccines – online at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by phone at 877-VAX-INVA (829-4682). 
A web site helps individuals locate clinics, pharmacies and other locations that are offering vaccines in their area. Visit www.vaccinefinder.org.
Support VCNP’s PAC
To ensure Virginia’s legislators continue hearing our voice, please consider making a donation to VCNP’s PAC. Thanks to Kathryn Pond (Tidewater) for the recent donation. You can make a recurring or one-time donation or sign up for recurring donations.
Share your autonomous practice stories
Do you plan to apply for autonomous practice now that the experience requirement has been reduced to two or more years? We want to hear from you! Let us know how autonomous licensure will impact your practice and why you think it’s important for other NPs to apply. Send your stories – and a photo if you have one.
VCNP’s Board of Directors will be meeting this weekend for our annual summer board meeting and Leadership Retreat. We’ll be discussing VCNP’s plans for the coming year so please let me know how VCNP can continue to be a resource for you.
Becky Compton, DNP, RN, FNP-BC
President, VCNP Board of Directors
vcnppresident@gmail.com