Breaking Down Barriers to Healthcare Access

Marylanders for Healthcare Workforce Access is a coalition of healthcare leaders, organizations, providers, and patients who support Maryland joining the APRN Compact which will allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses from across the country to practice in Maryland.

Why is the APRN Compact Important?

Communities across Maryland are struggling with historic healthcare workforce gaps in our hospitals, primary care facilities, health clinics, and doctors' offices. In fact, 23 of Maryland’s 24 counties are classified as a Health Professional Shortage Area for primary and mental healthcare services.
By joining the APRN Compact, Maryland will be able to attract Advanced Practice Registered Nurses from across the country to grow our healthcare workforce for a safer and brighter future.

What does the APRN Compact do?

Breaks Down Healthcare Access Barriers
Maryland is facing a crisis in healthcare personnel shortages. The APRN Compact will break down century-old arcane barriers and allow patients to access more safe and quality primary, maternal, mental health, and anesthesia services from Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.
Grows Maryland’s Healthcare Workforce
Maryland is home to the most prestigious and innovative healthcare organizations in the nation. The APRN Compact will allow Maryland to attract the very best healthcare professionals while also closing significant gaps in medical personnel.
Strengthens our Healthcare Infrastructure for a Safer Future
Lessons learned from the recent global pandemic and the current staffing crisis have made it clear that the current century-old nursing licensure model for APRNs is not up to the task. The APRN compact will allow Maryland to bring in Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to serve our residents during natural disasters or pandemic emergencies.

What is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)?

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) provide safe and quality healthcare to patients across Maryland. Patients in Maryland rely on APRN care for expert primary care, mental health, maternal care, and anesthesia services.
APRNs are demonstrated safe and quality care providers with decades of evidence of safe practice and quality outcomes for patients.
APRNs play a critical part in providing world-class care to patients in rural and underserved areas.

How will the APRN Compact Benefit us?

Rural and Underserved Areas

All but one of Maryland’s twenty-four counties are classified as a Health Professional Shortage Area for primary care services and mental health services. In many of Maryland’s rural and underserved areas, the availability of primary care and mental health professionals is dire. By allowing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses from across the country to practice in Maryland, we can help lower the critical healthcare labor gap.

Behavioral Health Access  

Accessible behavioral and mental health services are important to a healthy Maryland. The APRN Compact would allow more behavioral health service professionals to practice in our state and reduce the time it takes to get help when it's needed most.

Community & Reproductive Health

Community and reproductive health organizations face tighter budgets and rising costs year after year.  The APRN Compact will help alleviate regulatory expenses for these critical organizations that employ Advanced Practice Registered Nurses with multiple licenses.

Natural Disasters

The recent global pandemic and ever-increasing frequency of natural disasters have made clear that the century-old nursing licensure is not up to the task of providing emergency staffing at a great time of need. The APRN Compact will open Maryland to a national network of highly trained medical professionals ready to help residents at a moment's notice.

Military Families

There are over 1 million military spouses throughout the United States, and nearly 20 percent of working military spouses are in health-related services, including Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. On average, military families move every 2-3 years, and many of them move to Maryland at some point due to our large DOD footprint. The APRN Compact will replace a restrictive century-old licensure model with a modern and flexible model and ensure these hard-working military spouses can work on day one and provide for their families.

Healthcare Wait Times

Wait times in hospitals, community health clinics, and doctor's offices are increasing every year throughout the country and right here in Maryland. The APRN Compact would bring nurses to Maryland who are specialists in different forms of care, expanding our healthcare bandwidth to allow for the best possible care for Maryland residents.

Telehealth Access

The APRN Compact enables Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to practice in person or provide telehealth services to patients located across the country seamlessly and efficiently. In addition, patients who seek critical healthcare when outside the state of Maryland can do so via telehealth, maintaining access to the providers they trust for their care.

Modern Healthcare

Modern healthcare delivery requires that safe and quality care provided by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses be dynamic and fluid. The current century-old nursing licensure model does not meet the needs of Modern healthcare.  The APRN Compact will help bring Maryland into the 21st century when it comes to recruiting and maintaining the very best healthcare professionals.

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