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Doctors Convene in Nashville for Day on the Hill, Physician Wellness Clears Key Committees

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Doctors Convene in Nashville for Day on the Hill, Physician Wellness Clears Key Committees

The legislative offices of the Cordell Hull building were bustling with white coats on Tuesday as more than 150 physicians and healthcare advocates gathered in Nashville to bring the voice of organized medicine to state lawmakers at Doctors’ Day on the Hill.

TMA members lobbied each of the association’s policy priorities this session, in addition to supporting a proposal to establish state licensure for certified anesthesiology assistants (SB453/HB1146) as well as opposing efforts to allow psychiatric nurse practitioners to practice independently (SB2135/HB2727).

Physicians in training also received a special presentation from Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville), who spoke about the importance of getting involved in legislative advocacy of behalf of the medical profession. As a daughter of a cardiologist and sister to an urologist and ob-gyn, Sen. Campbell shared her unique perspective on the intersection of medicine and politics.

At the conclusion of legislative meetings, nearly 125 attendees gathered at the Nashville City Center for an evening reception with lawmakers where guests enjoyed cocktails, small bites, and a spectacular view of the State Capitol building.

TMA would like to thank all who attended knowing that many had to sacrifice time away from their practice and patients to be there. The sheer volume of doctors in attendance sends an overwhelmingly clear message to lawmakers: Tennessee’s medical community is engaged and committed to improving the state’s healthcare landscape.

PHYSICIAN WELLNESS

 Tuesday marked a significant turning point for one of TMA’s key legislative proposals as the Tennessee Wellness Law advanced in both Senate and House committees.

As amended, SB734/HB628 by Sen. Richard Briggs, MD (R-Knoxville) and Rep. Tom Leatherwood (R-Arlington) would enact statutory protections for physicians seeking help to address workplace burnout by making communications with a therapist confidential for purposes of licensure, credentialing, and pre-employment interviews. The bill defines "career fatigue" as a work-related, psychological disorder that manifests itself in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment. Unlike the proposal TMA introduced in last year’s session, this bill does not include protections for substance use disorder, mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, or any other condition that impairs a physician's judgment or ability to practice medicine in a competent, ethical, and professional manner.

The amended language comes after months of negotiating with stakeholders like the Tennessee Hospital Association, SVMIC, and BlueCross BlueShield who initially expressed concerns related to physician impairment, prompting a significant re-write. While the bill does not offer as much protection as TMA originally sought, it does address the core concept of mitigating burnout, thereby ensuring physicians can seek help without fear of professional retribution.

The measure was first considered by the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee where proceedings were largely perfunctory. Following Sen. Briggs’ presentation of the amendment, the committee offered no comments or questions before voting to advance the bill unanimously. The bill’s next stop in the upper chamber is the Senate floor where it has yet to be calendared, though TMA expects it to be sometime in the coming week.

A recording of the Senate committee hearing can be viewed here.

Hours later in the House Health Subcommittee, Rep. Leatherwood joked that he would be “less verbose” in his explanation of the bill, and instead opted to simply answer questions. TMA member and House Health Committee chair, Rep. Bryan Terry, MD (R-Murfreesboro), spoke in support of the legislation and provided statistics from both the American Medical Association and the American Society of Anesthesiologists on the pervasive issue of burnout and the impending consequences if not proactively addressed. Without any additional comments, the bill again received a unanimous favorable vote. It now heads to Chairman Terry’s committee where it is set to be considered next Wednesday, March 13 at 4:30pm CT.

A recording of the House committee hearing can be viewed here.

INDEPENDENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONERS

Due to a crowded calendar and budget hearings from the Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, the bill that would grant psychiatric nurse practitioners independent practice stalled in the Senate Health & Welfare Committee on Wednesday.

The proposal, (SB2135/HB2727) sponsored by Sen. Shane Reeves (R-Murfreesboro) and Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), would allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with a psychiatric mental health designation to practice without a collaborating physician after three years of full-time practice. As introduced, the legislation has almost no guardrails on prescribing, and would potentially allow providers with limited training and experience to write prescriptions for scheduled drugs like benzodiazepines and Adderall without physician oversight.

As it currently stands, TMA does not have the votes to defeat this proposal when it is considered next week. We urge all members to contact the Senate Health & Welfare Committee members and ask them to vote no on SB2135. Talking points are included in our call-to-action linked below. For those who are not constituents of a member of the Senate Health Committee, we encourage you to contact the full committee with the information shown below to express your opposition. Your voice and engagement on this issue is critical to ensuring the measure does not advance.

Senate Health & Welfare Committee:

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