Rhode Island Academy of Physician Assistants

The RIAPA wishes to thank the Rhode Island Department of Health for its help and support in making RI the 25th state. We appreciate it!

The PA profession has just accomplished a major milestone: Rhode Island has become the 25th state in the PA Licensure Compact! 🎉 This officially brings the Compact to half the nation, and it fulfills a promise made by the state as part of its Rural Health Transformation Program. Read more: https://bit.ly/4gg9chu 🙌 Rhode Island Academy of Physician Assistants

A big RIAPA shout out and THANK YOU to Rep. David Bennett RN, for his gracious support and for honoring the PAs of RI with this resolution!

Head over to RIAPA.ORG for updates and check your email. Not getting emails from us? Then get on the list at RIAPA.ORG

We couldn't have said it better ourselves!!!! This affects PAs as well. PAs need to stop this bill in its tracks.

🚨 LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT 🚨
Senate Bill 3184 – HEARING THURSDAY, APRIL 30

A proposed bill could restrict Nurse Practitioners from providing moderate (conscious) sedation—despite full practice authority, proper training, and credentialing.

⚠️ This will limit patient access to care and restrict NP scope of practice.

📍 HEARING DETAILS:
Rhode Island State House – Senate Chamber (Room 211)
🗓 Thursday, April 30
⏰ Arrive by 4:00–4:30 PM

⸻

🛑 TAKE ACTION NOW:

✉️ SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY (OPPOSE)
Send before 3:00 PM on 4/30
📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]

👥 SHOW UP
Fill the room—even if you don’t plan to speak

🗣 TESTIFY
Share how this impacts your patients & practice

📢 SPREAD THE WORD
Tell NPs, PAs, physicians, and the public

⸻

💥 WE NEED A FULL COURT PRESS 💥
Your voice matters—let’s protect patient access and NP practice.

The Rhode Island Department of Health has issued proposed regulations that, if implemented, would eliminate Physician Assistants as authorized providers of mild or moderate procedural sedation. We have actively opposed this measure in both the House and Senate, and will continue our efforts on May 14th at 2:00 pm. For updates and information, please visit

RIAPA | Rhode Island Academy of PAs The RIAPA is a professional organization that serves the PA community in RI. We provide resources and advocate for public policy issues affecting both the PA profession and the patients we serve.

Our Own Bill is up for a hearing tomorrow 4/14 in the House Health and Human Services Committee . This one needs to be SUPPORTED folks. This one is out there to help all of you !!!!

House Bill 7935 NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED

HB 7935 Improves PA Practice in RI by clarifying collaboration, adds language to pave the way for the PA Licensing Compact, fixes a flaw in the CME requirement, allows PAs and NPs to clear student athletes to return to play in sports, and removes restrictive covenants that could prohibit you from practicing within a certain distance of your previous employer

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS BILL. You can support this bill by sending a copy of the draft email below.

TO: [email protected] with a copy to [email protected]

Subject: SUPPORT for HB-7935

Dear Chairwoman Donovan,

My name is _______ and I am a Physician Assistant working at _______ I am writing to you today to respectfully request your support for HB-7935.

This bill is being submitted to help clarify the definition of "collaboration" for PAs. It also adds a needed clause for criminal background checks that are required for PAs to participate in the multi-state licensing compact. It clarifies and adjusts the required CME cycle to match the biannual licensing cycle at the DOH. It prohibits restrictive covenants which allows me flexibility should I desire to change jobs. Lastly, it adds PAs to the "School and Youth Concussion Act" and the "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act".

These changes would continue to enhance PAs practice by removing restrictions and enhancing access to healthcare for Rhode Islanders.

Thank you for your consideration and hopefully support of HB-7935.

Sincerely,

Deadline is tomorrow 4/14 at NOON!

PAs WE NEED YOU! This Tuesday, April 14th the House HHS Committee will be considering bill 7740 which would stop PAs, NPs and RNs from administering mild to moderate conscious sedation without a CRNA or anesthesiologist on non intubated patients. This would be statewide and effect everyone from outpatient diagnostic imaging to inpatient procedural areas. Don't let changes to state law create additional burdens on patient care and further limit timely access for patients as well as restrict what you already do safely. GO TO HTTPS://RIAPA.ORG to see how to help.

Here at the Statehouse working to push the PA Profession ahead and hopefully stopping the looming backslides. Who’s with me? https://riapa.org Rhode Island Academy of Physician Assistants

ATTENTION RI PAs. Please visit us at https://riapa.org for very important legislative updates. There are bills that will directly affect all RI PAs. Some need to be supported and some need to be opposed. Please visit us, we need your help !!!

RIAPA | Rhode Island Academy of PAs The RIAPA is a professional organization that serves the PA community in RI. We provide resources and advocate for public policy issues affecting both the PA profession and the patients we serve.

1. PAs are not as educated or experienced as NPs are.
2. PAs can’t prescribe and NPs can.
3. PAs need to be supervised and have everything cosigned and NPs do not.
4. PAs lack the education, knowledge and training to handle complex cases.
5. PAs increase the risk of harm to patients.
6. PAs are just the systems way to save costs over physicians.
7. PAs dilute the quality of care in healthcare.
8. PAs are just “Fake it till you make it” doctor wannabees.
9. PAs do not have doctorate degrees and NPs do which make NPs higher level providers.
10. Patients think they are seeing a doctor and are being deceived.

These are the current beliefs and statements we are hearing throughout the RI state government and from many other sources in RI. If you don't like them, trust me, neither do we but we can't change these misconceptions without you.

Please Join or Renew your membership so we can protect your jobs and the PA Profession in RI.

RIAPA | Rhode Island Academy of PAs The RIAPA is a professional organization that serves the PA community in RI. We provide resources and advocate for public policy issues affecting both the PA profession and the patients we serve.