Scope of Practice Partnership

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• Dear Editor:
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Dear Editor: 

The Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP) read with interest the commentary, “The SOPP and the Coalition for Patients' Rights: Implications of Continuing Interprofessional Tension for PNPs,” (Lindeke & KellyThomas, 2010) published in your January/February 2010 issue. We also believe that the focus on how to best ensure that patients receive the highest levels of care is precisely the issue at center stage in our nation's health care system.

However, we are greatly disappointed that the authors chose to disparage the SOPP without talking with us, not to mention asking us to verify information so the authors could have avoided the inaccuracies in their article. Had any of the SOPP member organizations been contacted, the authors would have learned that we fully agree that “[a]ffordable, safe care for the nation requires full use of the entire available workforce.” Also, if the authors had asked, they would have learned that the information from the American Medical Association Geomapping project comes directly from state licensing boards for physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals.

In addition, while we understand that the Coalition for Patient Rights was formed to oppose the SOPP, we have never suggested that our organizations should stand apart. There undoubtedly will be policy-related differences between our groups, but we should not let those stand in the way of improving the nation's health care system and ensuring that our patients receive the right care at the right times in the right setting. Surely that goal can and does serve as a shared vision for us all.

We believe that there are many areas of agreement between all of our member organizations. Yet, to begin a fruitful dialogue, articles such as the one by Lindeke and KellyThomas do little except to drive a wedge between health care professionals who work together every day.

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Reference 

1. Lindeke LL, KellyThomas K. The SOPP and the Coalition for Patients' Rights: implications of continuing interprofessional tension for PNPs. Journal of Pediatric Health Care. 2010;24(1):62–65
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