Representative Kathy Swan filed a pair of bills in the Missouri House on Thursday. And both of them deal with technology.
One bill would allow advanced practice registered nurses to work in rural areas as long as the nurse can communicate with a collaborating physicians through the telehealth network. Currently, advanced-practice nurses must be within 50 miles of their collaborating physician in areas that have a shortage of primary care.
“This is an alternative, particularly in rural areas of need and rural areas that have a shortage of health care and health care services,” Swan said. “Telehealth can then be that bridge so that we can get those nurse practitioners in those underserved areas.”
The other bill expands the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s virtual school. It would allow high school students to take more dual-credit college coursework or other courses that may not be offered at their schools.
Representative Swan says many rural districts are too far away from a community college or university for high schoolers to take classes there.
“Obviously, in many parts of the state and in many, many school districts, they don’t have the ability to do that because it’s just not in close enough proximity for them to do that,” Swan said.
The bill also offers remedial coursework online.
