1. COALITION FOR PATIENTS’ RIGHTS™ Giving Patients a Choice of Providers
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COALITION FOR PATIENTS’ RIGHTS™ Giving Patients a Choice of Providers

2. Access and Choice are Key
Limiting the ability of healthcare professionals to practice and provide appropriate care places an enormous and unnecessary burden on the American healthcare system.
Patients should be able to choose the type of provider that best suits their individual healthcare and wellness needs.
Talking Points:
Providing patients with access to a wide range of healthcare professionals of their choice ensures that patients are able to receive the right care at the right time. In addition, access should be based on patient safety, efficacy and positive outcomes, not provider policies and compensation battles.
Patients have a right to choose their care from among the millions of healthcare professionals licensed and/or certified and qualified to provide an array of safe, high-quality and cost-effective healthcare options.

3. Efforts to Limit Patients’ Rights
Currently, there is a divisive movement to restrict the valuable services provided by some healthcare professionals
If successful, these activities will limit patient access to safe, high-quality and cost-effective healthcare.
“Based upon AMA House of Delegates directives in June 2006, The Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP) was charged with providing distinguishing qualifications among healthcare providers. In response to that charge, the AMA has developed a series of modules that outline the training, licensure and state regulation of 10 non-physician provider groups.”
“The SOPP has additional work groups and projects … to research clinical doctorate education templates and to develop models to rapidly facilitate coalitions against unwarranted scope of practice expansions.”
Edward L. Langston, MD
June 2, 2008
Talking Points:
The Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP), a coalition of medical and osteopathic physician organizations established by the American Medical Association (AMA) and other medical groups, aims to limit other healthcare professionals’ scopes of practice – the range of healthcare-related activities and services that a healthcare professional is educated, licensed and/or certified to provide.
Over the past decade, the AMA has adopted multiple resolutions intended to restrict the practice of other qualified licensed and/or certified healthcare professionals. The SOPP and other groups representing organized medicine continue their movement to limit the scope of practice of those healthcare professionals who are not doctors of medicine or osteopathy (MDs or DOs).
The SOPP’s efforts are unnecessary and, if successful, will impede rather than enhance patient access to quality care.
Now is the time for all healthcare professionals to work together, not against one another, to advance the health and well-being of patients

4. Views from the Frontlines
“Americans deserve the opportunity to exercise choice regarding treatment providers and options.” -Tracy Todd, Ph.D., American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy “With shortages in various areas of healthcare, and more than 45 million uninsured Americans, healthcare professionals are a vital part of the solution to this country's healthcare challenges.” -C. Fay Raines, Ph.D., RN, American Association of Colleges of Nursing “We believe that patients’ interests are best served by a healthcare system in which many different types of qualified healthcare professionals are available, accessible, and work collaboratively with one another.” -Donna P. Jernigan, MS, BSN, RN, CRRN, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses “Patients deserve to have access to the expert care that nurses can give them. We can do more to improve patient care by working together rather than at odds with each other.” -Linda J. Stierle, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, American Nurses Association

5. Protecting Patients’ Rights
Promotes patients’ rights to have access to providers of their choice and the right to choose among them.
Works to maintain the rights of its members to practice to the full extent of their abilities, education, qualifications and legal authority.
The Coalition for Patients’ Rights advocates for patients, protecting their right to access care from a broad spectrum of healthcare professionals
Talking Points:
The Coalition was formed to ensure that the growing needs of the American healthcare system can be met and that patients have access to quality healthcare professionals of their choice.
The Coalition was established in 2006 in response to divisive efforts by the American Medical Association (AMA) and others to limit the scope of practice of healthcare professionals who are not doctors of medicine or osteopathy (MDs or DOs).

6. Coming Together for A Common Goal
Talking Points:
The Coalition is a national coalition comprised of more than 35 organizations representing more than three million licensed healthcare professionals committed to ensuring comprehensive healthcare choices for all patients.
The Coalition is comprised of a diverse array of healthcare professionals, including optometrists, chiropractors, psychologists, registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses (including certified registered nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse midwives), therapists, naturopathic physicians, practitioners of Oriental medicine and many other licensed and/or certified professionals.

7. Two Years of Success
More than 35 member organizations, representing more than three million licensed healthcare professionals
Established joint letter highlighting Coalition’s position
Coordinated member effort against state level policy to limit scope of practice
Built a comprehensive Web site outlining issue and position, available at
Talking Points:
We have made remarkable strides so far, and we look forward to our continued success.
Our members play a significant role in enabling us to achieve our goals, and their support has propelled our efforts.

8. The Coalition Continues its Fight for Patients’ Rights
Increases efforts to enlist additional participants to join the Coalition
Generates awareness of patients’ rights and impact of limiting scope of practice
Continues to promote access and choice
Engages a PR firm to raise national attention about this important issue
Maintains an online information gathering tool that allows the Coalition members to identify, track and respond to threats to the scope of practice of the Coalition members across the country
Develops communications materials to inform the media, lawmakers, policymakers, regulators and the public about the Coalition’s goals and initiatives
Talking Points:
Patients’ rights are at risk.
The Coalition will continue its efforts to ensure that patients have the right to select care from a wide range of healthcare professionals and the right to choose among them.

9. How to Reach Us
For more information about the Coalition for Patients’ Rights please contact:
[Insert Name]
Phone: [Insert]
[Insert]

10. To learn more about the Coalition for Patients’ Rights, visit www
To learn more about the Coalition for Patients’ Rights, visit