About Us
The South Carolina Coalition for Access to Health Care is a group of Health Care professionals working to develop ways to ensure that every patient has the ability to get the care they need from any provider they select.
What is an Advance Practice Registered Nurse?
An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is a registered nurse (RN) who has completed an advanced graduate-level education program and has passed a national certification exam in order to practice as either a Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and who is authorized to practice autonomously in over 20 states. Research shows that these APRNs increase access, are cost effective, and provide safe high quality patient outcomes.
As of 2014, South Carolina had 2,582 APRNs and 570 APRNs in training in our state’s graduate programs at Clemson, the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Francis Marion University.
Articles
& Resources
Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Compared to other primary care disciplines, NPs are most likely to practice in rural communities. Indeed, eighteen percent of NPs practice in communities of fewer than 25,000 residents. In states with both a favorable regulatory environment and a large percentage of rural residents, NPs are significantly more likely to practice in rural settings.
South Carolina nurse practitioners battle for expanded authority in care
The Post and Courier
January 29, 2017
With South Carolina facing poor health scores — the United Health Foundation ranks the state 42nd for overall health — some nurse practitioners want to be freed from regulations that require them to work under a doctor's supervision. They argue that nurses with advanced degrees can fill the gap left by a lack of primary care providers, especially in rural areas.
Nurse Practitioners Win Direct Access To VA Patients
Forbes
December 13, 2016
In a victory for the nation’s nurse practitioners, the Department of Veterans Affairs is granting veterans direct access to advanced practice registered nurses. The final regulations come at a critical time for nurse practitioners, which have doubled to more than 200,000 in the last decade and are looking to expand their ability to care for patients across the country. Meanwhile, the VA is working to engineer a turnaround after being accused of mismanagement and not promptly treating veterans who are known to wait days, weeks and even months for treatments and basic primary care services.
Nursing Most Trustworthy Profession
Gallup
December 18, 2014
Americans say nurses have the highest honesty and ethical standards... Eighty percent of Americans say nurses have "very high" or "high" standards of honesty and ethics, compared with a 7% rating for members of Congress and 8% for car salespeople.
The Case for Letting Nurse Practitioners Do More
Vox
June 4, 2014
Conquering the Doctor Shortage
USA Today
February 8, 2014
Expanded roles for nurse practitioners and physician assistants could ease the manpower void, experts say.
Free the Nurses
Slate
April 18, 2013
One answer to our health care crisis: Let nurse practitioners do primary care on their own.
White Papers
August 12, 2011
A brief snapshot of the state of healthcare in SC with
descriptions of the roles of APRNs and solutions for the future