acknowledge the right of an individual to select a Nurse Practitioner as their Primary Care Provider

Nurse Practitioner's can help meet the growing need for Primary Care Poviders if barriers are removed at the State and Federal level to allow them to practice to the full scope of their practice and be reimbursed accordingly.
HRSA has identified 5700 +/- geographic areas with a shortage of Primary Care Providers. The Institute of Medicine's Report "Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health" states nurses should be full partners with physician's and other professionals in redesigning health care. Data shows that Nurse Practitioner's provide care that is at least equivalent to that provided by physicians, and some studies show it is even more effective than physician in certain measures.