JOINT RELEASE: Laws to Address Health Care Workforce Shortage, Expand Rural Access to Essential Health Care Services Go into Effect

DENVER, CO – Two new laws to create better pathways for students to enter the medical field and improve access to life-saving prescription drugs for rural Coloradans went into effect today. 

SB22-003, sponsored by Senator Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, and Senate President Pro Tempore Kerry Donovan, D-Vail, as well as Representatives Kyle Mullica, D-Federal Heights, and Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs, will allow community colleges to offer bachelor of science in nursing degrees (BSN) to a greater range of students to address the state’s health care provider shortage and connect students with in-demand jobs.

“We are facing a critical shortage of qualified, well-trained health care professionals, and the pandemic has only made things worse,” said Buckner. “This law will help more students pursue their dream and land a good-paying job in nursing while giving Colorado hospitals a larger and better-trained pool of employees to hire from. By expanding these opportunities for students, we will strengthen our workforce and improve health care outcomes for all Coloradans.”

“This law will boost Colorado’s health care workforce and build a healthier Colorado in the process,” said Mullica. “Getting more nurses from the classroom to the hospital will help ease some of the stress our health care workers have been facing. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to streamline the process for Coloradans to earn their BSN so we can get more talented, qualified nurses in the field.”

“Both rural and urban areas have felt the effects of our state’s shortage of nurses in hospitals,” said Donovan. “This law will be a step towards providing hospitals with the staffing they need while saving people money on their education.”

“Boosting our health care workforce is a top priority and this law paves the way,” said Exum. “Community colleges have always been leaders in preparing Colorado’s students for success, and now they’ll be able to prepare the next generation of nurses with a BSN program. This is a great step towards addressing Colorado’s health care workforce shortage head on by saving Coloradans money on earning their nursing degree and getting more qualified nurses in hospitals.”

SB22-173, championed by Senator Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, also went into effect today. The new law removes the restriction requiring telepharmacy outlets to be located more than twenty miles from the nearest prescription drug outlet or other telepharmacy outlet. It also requires the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy to take into consideration areas of need when determining locations for new remote pharmacy sites.

“During the pandemic, we saw a need for greater flexibility in accessing health care services in every corner of the state, and telepharmacy emerged as a way to bring high quality services directly to underserved areas," said Rodriguez. “By increasing the availability of telepharmacy outlets, we can ensure Coloradans, particularly in rural and remote areas, have access to the essential health care services they need to thrive.”

Learn more about the work Colorado Democrats did this year to improve health care access for Coloradans.