Last week, the North Carolina Medical Board held its March meetings. Representatives from NCMS attended these meetings to keep informed of issues impacting our membership.
This is what NCMB is working on that you need to know about:
Outreach Committee
The North Carolina Medical Board Outreach Committee is working to provide newly licensed physicians and physician assistants with information to be successful in their practice. This will be through a series of videos and an informational page on their website addressing general questions. The committee is also working on a survey for licensees to gather information on burnout, opioid prescribing, telemedicine, professional challenges, and more. The survey will be sent out early next month.
Policy Committee
After multiple months of work, the North Carolina Medical Board Policy Committee pushed its new policy with guidance on employment practices for licensees for full board approval. The NCMB telemedicine policy will be undergoing a rewrite after concerns on prescribing controlled substances via telehealth. This policy has been in the works for many months and will face further changes prior to board approval. Lastly, the NCMB policy on the Clinician Obligation to Complete a Death Certificate will be amended in the following weeks to include NCDAVE and guidance for licensees on the cause of death section that many clinicians are concerned about.
Advanced Practice Provider & Allied Health Committee
After many months of debate, the APP & Allied Health Committee adopted the supervision changes to the Certified Nurse Midwife Supervision rules. NCMS Staff and Members were involved in the creation of this policy. While the committee recommended some changes to the policy, it was passed in its original state by the full Medical Board. That rule can be found here.
The NCMS looks forward to these discussions and working with the Board throughout the year.