Press Release February 26, 2011

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs) will hold rallies across the state to raise awareness of how legislation is preventing patients from receiving health care and driving up costs. ARNPs cite several recent publications from the Institutes of Medicine, Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, Senate Interim Report 2009-117, Florida Tax Watch and others that show annual costs savings in the millions and no threat to the safety of the public if restrictions are removed.

ARNPS in Florida state that 48 states allow for full prescriptive authority of ARNPs, and 23 states do not require supervisory involvement by physicians. In all states the number of malpractice cases against nurse practitioners is extremely low when compared to physicians. No state has ever rescinded the authority for ARNPs to practice.

Rallies will be held in Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Tallahassee, and Pensacola. Miami at Miami Dade College Medical Center Campus 950 NW 20th Street, Miami; Orlando at Orlando City Hall 400 South Orange Avenue; Sarasota at Five Points Park 1331 First Street; Tallahassee at the Front steps of Old Capitol Building, Monroe and Apalachee Pkwy; Pensacola at MLK Plaza Palafox St across from Court House.

Representative Daphne Campbell will speak at the Miami Rally and has sponsored legislation this year to remove certain supervisory restrictions to ARNP practice. Representative Michelle Vasilinda is planning to speak at the Tallahassee Rally. Rallies are free and open to the public.

For more information contact Susan Lynch ARNP at 386-717-6180 or go to

www.cap-pac.org.