New York Legislative Victory a Win for PAs and Patients

PAs Can Execute MOLST in NY State

January 22, 2020

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed S04841, permitting PAs to execute orders not to resuscitate and orders pertaining to life sustaining treatments (commonly known as medical orders for life-sustaining treatment or simply MOLST). The legislation added PAs to various statutory provisions that previously only included physicians and nurse practitioners. To accomplish this, PAs were also included in the definition of the term “attending practitioner,” which replaced “attending physician” in the Family Health Care Decisions Act.

The legislation was a 2019 advocacy priority for the New York State Society of PAs (NYSSPA) and passed the legislature in June 2019, due the grassroots efforts of NYSSPA’s legislative team and PAs across the state. The legislation goes into effect on June 17, 2020. Throughout the legislative session, NYSSPA sent out numerous communications to PAs in New York, and teamed with AAPA to draft and send legislative-action alerts urging PAs and physicians to contact their legislators in support of S04841.

“This was truly a team effort and an advancement for PAs that will allow them to provide seamless, compassionate care to their patients,“ stated NYSSPA president Maureen C. Regan, MBA, PA-C, FACHE.“I would like to thank NYSSPA’s Legislative Affairs Committee Chair John Hallowell, MBA, PA-C,  as well as the AAPA for their support. Each accomplishment fosters advancement of PA practice in New York State.”

For more information on S04841, or PA practice in New York, contact Carson Walker, director, AAPA State Advocacy and Outreach, at [email protected] or NYSSPA at [email protected].