This Week From Del. Matt Fariss

In the 2022 General Assembly session, we worked diligently to ensure that our healthcare workers in Virginia had more opportunities to practice their skills in more environments, and to do so safely. This includes removing rep tape and allowing our Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to more fully utilize their practices to help more patients.  

We’ve also given the authority to the Board of Nursing to establish minimum standards for nursing programs across Virginia, so that our students and graduates will be fully prepared to handle the responsibility of this important career. 

Other big changes include legislation that allows an optometrist who has received a certification from the Board of Optometry to perform laser eye surgery. 

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.