Spring/Summer 2019 Issue
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Bill in the New Jersey Legislature Would Impose New Regulations on Urgent Care Clinics
An experienced city hall reporter once warned a young colleague, “Never leave a deliberative body unattended,” pointing out the importance of close attention to the actions of government.
The Urgent Care Association, the North East Regional Urgent Care Association and the UCA Political Action Committee proved the wisdom of that advice during the 2018/2019 session of the New Jersey legislature, keeping their attention on a bill which would affect urgent care centers in the Garden State.
The bill, known as A4443 in the New Jersey Assembly and S3302 in the State Senate would, among other actions, establish licensing requirements, give the New Jersey Commissioner of Health authority to establish requirements and standards for Urgent Care clinics, and -- of particular interest to SPUC -- would prohibit treatment of children younger than 18 in Urgent Care facilities, “except in emergent circumstances.”
Urgent Care providers mobilized in New Jersey. Their actions included meeting with legislators and sponsoring an Urgent Care Education Day to provide “education about Urgent Care’s place in the healthcare continuum” and establishing a relationship with the Medical Society of New Jersey going forward.
For now, the measures have been referred to the Assembly’s Health and Senior Services Committee and the State Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. SPUC members in other states may want to learn from the New Jersey example, and keep tabs on what their representatives are doing at their own state capitols.
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SPUC Fifth Annual Conference
September 26-29, 2019
Cook Children's Medical Center
Fort Worth, Texas
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