Hebrew Health Care’s top doctor wins prestigious award

WEST HARTFORD— Hebrew Health Care's Physician-In-Chief, Dr. Henry Schneiderman, will receive the 2014 Nurse Practitioner Advocate Award for Excellence for Connecticut from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Dr. Schneiderman was honored for his dedication as an advocate for nurse practitioners (NPs) in Connecticut and has made significant contributions toward increasing awareness and acceptance of the NP's role.  He will be recognized for this achievement during the 2014 AANP National Conference, at the Salute the States Award Ceremony, in June 2014. 
Dr. Schneiderman provided written testimony to support proposed legislation that would do away with the requirement of a mandatory written Collaborative Practice Agreement whereby the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN, synonymous with NP) has been burdened with a clinically meaningless requirement that an MD nominally review the APRN's practice.  His Impact Statement about this matter led to his being asked to serve on the Scope of Practice Committee of the Connecticut Department of Public Health.  This Committee includes many people and organizations that favor a proposed change in legislation, and others that oppose it.  Dr. Schneiderman has spoken at two meetings held by the Committee, marshalling facts and the experience garnered by the many states that have preceded Connecticut on this path of eliminating the Collaborative Practice Agreement; the essence of his contribution is to help show the benefits of the proposed changes in terms of public access to health care, of quality, and of cost-saving for society and government.  He has also assumed a very activist role in the internal conversation among those of like mind on the Committee.