Gov. Edward G. Rendell, D-Pa., issued the following press release:
Gov. Edward G. Rendell today said his Prescription for Pennsylvania reform plan will help to make health care more widely available to consumers where and when they need it most, while also helping to control costs. 'The hospital emergency room is the most expensive setting in which to receive care, but it is where too many Pennsylvanians seek treatment of routine health problems - often because they have nowhere else to turn,' Governor Rendell said during a visit to a Take Care Health Center located inside an Eckerd Pharmacy in Irwin. 'By expanding access to care, we can help Pennsylvanians to remain healthy while better controlling the cost of providing health care.' Governor Rendell's Prescription for Pennsylvania promotes incentives for health care providers who offer services in the evenings and on weekends, which will help to discourage consumers from visiting emergency rooms for non-emergency concerns. Statistically, Pennsylvanians are more likely than the average American to seek emergency room treatment. Take Care Health Systems LLC, based in Conshohocken, has opened nine convenient care clinics inside Eckerd pharmacies throughout greater Pittsburgh. The clinics are staffed by family nurse practitioners who focus exclusively on diagnosis, treatment, screenings and vaccinations for common family illnesses. The clinics are open extended hours including evenings, Saturdays and Sundays and do not require an appointment. Advanced practice nurses are trained to diagnose and treat such common problems as ear, eye and sinus infections, poison ivy and strep throat, provide routine immunizations such as flu and tetanus, and write prescriptions for the ailments they treat. The care provided at a facility like Take Care Health Centers is a complement to, not a substitute for, the comprehensive care of a primary care physician. Governor Rendell's innovative Prescription for Pennsylvania, which relies on private-sector principles, will increase access to affordable health care coverage for every uninsured Pennsylvania resident, improve the quality of care, and control health care costs for businesses and employees. To expand access to care, Governor Rendell's proposal calls for the creation of Cover All Pennsylvanians (CAP), a program offering affordable basic health coverage to small businesses and the uninsured through the private insurance market. Governor Rendell said all uninsured Pennsylvanians - no matter the size of their employer - will be able to purchase affordable health insurance through CAP. Prescription for Pennsylvania will enable nurses, advanced nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, pharmacists, dental hygienists and other licensed health care providers to practice to the fullest extent of their training and skills. Prescription for Pennsylvania will further expand access to care by addressing urgent workforce shortages in rural regions. Governor Rendell's initiative will invest in workforce development and provide financial incentives to attract and retain health care providers in underserved regions. Additionally, the Governor's plan will increase the diversity of the health care labor force in an effort to improve the provision of care to historically underserved communities. Specific components of Governor Rendell's initiative will require legislative and federal approval. If the necessary approvals are timely, the CAP program is expected to begin operating in January 2008. The financial aspects of the plan will be outlined when Governor Rendell announces his budget proposal for the 2007-08 state fiscal year in early February. For more information on Governor Rendell's Prescription for Pennsylvania and the proposed Cover All Pennsylvanians program, visit www.gohcr.state.pa.us.
