Letter to the editor: We need nurse practitioners

I’ve been the patient of a talented and caring nurse practitioner for 30 years. I am writing to respond to the recent back and forth between nurse practitioners and doctors regarding full practice authority for nurse practitioners.

I trust my nurse practitioner, Cathy Grant. She’s the best health care person I ever went to. My wife, brother and grandkids feel the same way. When I go in for an appointment, she sits down and really listens to me. Sometimes she catches things I missed. If I ever need to see a specialist, she sends me to one.

I support House Bill 100, which would give Pennsylvania nurse practitioners full practice authority. We have plenty of people who need health care. We should do anything we can to make it convenient and affordable for them to get it. Right now, a lot of them have to wait for it or travel long distances, especially seniors.

I don’t believe the naysayers for one simple reason: The bill only lets nurse practitioners do what they already do in other states like Maryland. If there was problem, we’d have heard about it by now. There are always going to be people who oppose change. But we need more health care and it should be up to patients to decide where they get it. For me that’s a nurse practitioner.

Charles Hoak

Slickville