Passing this one bill would significantly change access to healthcare in NC

Welcome to NC Voices, where leaders, readers and experts from across North Carolina can speak on issues affecting our communities. Send submissions of 350 words or fewer to opinion@newsobserver.com.

NC needs to pass this healthcare bill

As a Cary-based nurse practitioner, I see firsthand the vast disparities of our healthcare system. Some patients travel 90 minutes each way to visit my office for basic care. For those living in more rural parts of the state, the commute can be even longer.

Of North Carolina’s 80 rural counties, 70 are designated “medical deserts” for lack of access to primary care.

At a time when access to affordable, high-quality healthcare has never been more important, North Carolina simply does not have enough healthcare professionals to meet our state’s growing demand.

The N.C. General Assembly has the opportunity to reduce disparities in access to quality, affordable healthcare. The SAVE Act, currently pending in the N.C. House and Senate, would deliver safe, accessible, value-directed care statewide by modernizing nursing regulations.

With its passage, North Carolina would grant full-practice authority to advance practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse practitioners like me. APRNs are experienced, qualified and expertly trained to meet the expanding healthcare needs of the state’s growing population.

By granting APRNs full-practice authority, North Carolinians will be able to more quickly and easily access quality care. This simple reduction of red tape would allow APRNs to deliver the care they’re already educated, trained and certified to provide.

Passing the SAVE Act makes financial sense. According to a 2015 Duke University study, outmoded bureaucratic requirements cost the state $1 million in wasted healthcare spending every day. Removing this barrier would allow the General Assembly to rein in costs for the healthcare system and patients.

This bill has broad bipartisan support across the N.C. House and Senate and from groups such as AARP North Carolina, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, the John Locke Foundation, and the North Carolina Rural Center, among others.

It’s now up to our elected officials to take this common-sense advancement (which has proven effective in 24 states) and make it a reality in North Carolina. I urge N.C. legislators to push the SAVE Act over the finish line. Your constituents’ lives depend on it.

Schquthia Peacock, Durham

Working to close NC’s digital divide

The writer is N.C.’s Secretary for Information Technology.

With all the focus on infrastructure build out and broadband expansion both nationally and in North Carolina, I wanted to take a moment to share how the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) is executing Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to close the digital divide by addressing access to high-speed internet infrastructure, digital equity and literacy, and affordability.

NCDIT is administering nearly $1 billion in federal funding for multiple high-speed internet infrastructure programs that incentivize providers to partner with the state and local governments.

We’ll soon launch a new partnership with individual counties across the state to competitively bid and select providers that can address remaining unserved and underserved areas. We also will begin removing barriers to high-speed internet infrastructure deployment by reimbursing communication providers up to $100 million for upgrading utility poles to support broadband projects. and will launch a new $90 million stop-gap solutions project later this year to address remaining hard-to-connect parts of the state.

NCDIT is capturing critical service and speed information for households and businesses to better understand each community’s needs. We’re mapping these efforts to determine underserved and unserved areas that census tract maps do not accurately represent.

We are building a statewide resource to help residents acquire digital skills so they can safely participate in today’s digital world. We’re also promoting the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides a monthly discount on high-speed internet service for eligible low-income households.

All this work will help us meet the governor’s plan to close the digital divide. We encourage residents to participate in the N.C. Broadband Survey and see if they are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program.

James A. Weaver, Raleigh