|
(Carson
City)
- Governor Gibbons today strongly encouraged
the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners
to file a motion to reconsider the Eighth
Judicial District Court decision of District
Court Judge Kathleen E. Delaney in the case
of Hurst v. the State of Nevada Board of
Medical Examiners. Judge Delaney today
released her written order voiding emergency
regulations regarding physicians and medical
assistants adopted by the Board on September
18, 2009.
“The public
health and safety of all Nevadans is my
number one priority,” Gibbons said. “My
office has been flooded with calls from
pediatricians who can no longer have their
medical assistants administer immunizations
and from parents who are being turned away
from their physician’s offices and are
concerned about getting their children
immunized. In addition, the first doses of
H1N1 vaccines are on the way to Nevada as we
are entering flu season. We need medical
assistants to be able to work with our
physicians to provide medical care during
this flu season.”
Governor
Gibbons believes that the disruption in the
statewide provision of medical care
experienced in the last few days clearly
shows that a motion to reconsider the
voiding is justified. “By allowing the
emergency regulations to go into effect,
doctors and medical assistants can work
together to ensure all Nevadans have access
to immunizations over the next 120 days,”
Gibbons said, “The Medical Board will have
those 120 days to hold public hearings to
develop permanent regulations.”
Governor
Gibbons urges all Nevadans with concerns
about this issue to send an e-mail to a
special e-mail address he established today
-
nevadafirst@gov.nv.gov. The input
received will be provided to the Board of
Medical Examiners. Additionally, the
Governor will use this address to
communicate with citizens and physicians so
that they can be informed of the time and
date of the motion to reconsider.
Governor
Gibbons also wants to ensure Nevadans that
vaccine and vaccine providers will be
available. Following the District Court’s
decision, the Nevada State Health Division
began implementing its contingency plans to
ensure H1N1 vaccine is available to people
looking to protect themselves and their
families during this flu season.
Rather than
focusing on primary care physicians and
other doctors who have traditionally relied
on medical assistants to administer
vaccines, the state will increase its
reliance on local health districts as
vaccinators within their communities as a
complement to those primary care physicians
that will still vaccinate patients.
In addition,
state and local health authorities are
working with the Board of Nursing, nursing
schools and others to develop a pool of
qualified students and retired professionals
who can work with primary care physicians
wishing to continue vaccinating but do not
have the personnel to do so without medical
assistants.
“While this
ruling alters our planned distribution of
H1N1 vaccine, our contingency plans create a
system that allows for an ample supply of
vaccine for those indicated,” said Dr.
Tracey Green, Nevada State Health Officer.
“We will continue to follow our plans
outlining what quantities of vaccine are
shipped to which parts of the state, and
continue following CDC guidance on priority
groups.”
Governor
Gibbons also noted that many pharmacists are
now trained to give flu shots. Emergency
medical technicians (EMTs) who train and
apply for a special license endorsement can
also give flu shots. There are more than
1,500 EMTs statewide. |
