The 2015 Legislative Session in Georgia kicked off earlier today. Georgia Watch will be active at the Capitol throughout the session as a powerful voice for Georgia consumers! 

We invite you to join us this Wednesday for our annual Legislative Breakfast to hear from our panel of five legislators as they discuss key policies impacting consumers in the State. Please attend to show that consumer issues really matter to you and the people of Georgia.

I also encourage you to read through our 2014 Annual Report, which we just released. Our successes come from your support. Please join us in celebrating these achievements.

Sincerely,  

Georgia Watch is pleased to announce the release of our 2014 Annual Report. The report outlines our successes and program impact for the year, and importantly highlights our broad network of support from partners in healthcare, energy, civil justice and finance. We are truly grateful for our partners, friends and supporters and their dedication to putting consumers first. We invite you to read through the Annual Report and share in our hard-earned successes for consumers across the State of Georgia in 2014.

Please plan to join us for our second annual Legislative Breakfast for a discussion of issues facing Georgia consumers.

Featuring our legislative panelists:

Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus

Rep. Roger Bruce, D-Atlanta

Rep. Mike Dudgeon, R-Johns Creek

Rep. Debbie Buckner, D-Junction City

Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs

Wednesday, January 14

8:00 - 10:00 a.m.  

The Freight Depot, Blue Room

Tickets: $40 per person, 

$75 per couple

For more information, to purchase tickets or to sponsor the event, please contact Liz Coyle at 404-525-1085 or lcoyle@georgiawatch.org.

With a generous grant from the Georgia Health Foundation, Georgia Watch's Health Access Program studied the regulatory environment for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Georgia. The resulting policy report outlines the state's regulatory framework and makes recommendations for how Georgia can better utilize its existing non-physician provider workforce based on successful models that exist elsewhere in the United States.

"Georgia's APRN practice laws are some of most restrictive in the nation. Georgia could enable APRNs to better serve patients and potentially lower healthcare costs for consumers by granting APRNs the authority to practice to the full extent of their education and training," said Health Access Program Director, Beth Stephens. "Georgia is facing a serious physician shortage, particularly in primary care, and APRNs have the training and expertise to fill these gaps in our healthcare system."

More than 9,500 APRNs are currently licensed in Georgia. Georgia's outdated and restrictive APRN practice regulations inhibit the state's ability to meet the needs of a growing and aging patient population. As one of the lowest scoring states in terms of overall health, Georgia should do more to encourage the ability of non-physician providers, like APRNs, to practice more autonomously, particularly in rural parts of the state, in order to ensure that Georgians have an adequate system of care.