Washington Regional Medical Center Pushes for APRN Regulatory Reform Ahead of NCGA Short Session
April 14, 2026
RALEIGH, N.C. – A small, independent hospital in rural North Carolina has joined an expanding list of organizations calling to reform regulations on the state’s Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). As legislators prepare to return to Jones Street next week, Washington Regional Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Plymouth, is formally endorsing APRN Definitions (S537/H514)*.
APRN Definitions is broadly bipartisan, with dozens of sponsors from both chambers. Its goal is to remove outdated barriers that prevent Nurse Practitioners and other APRNs from practicing to the full extent of their training and education. This type of legislation would save North Carolina more than $900 million per year, according to Dr. Chris Conover, a retired Duke University healthcare economist, with upper bound estimates in the billions1.
Washington Regional is a critically important facility for Washington, Tyrell, Hyde, Dare, Beaufort, Martin and Bertie counties. Other neighboring hospitals have already shut down in recent years2, leaving people in northeastern North Carolina few options. Proponents of S537/H514 say maximizing APRNs is an easy win for everyone involved.
“The threats facing small hospitals are real. If Washington Regional can better deploy its APRNs, it will help insulate the facility from Medicaid cuts, rural provider shortages, and skyrocketing healthcare costs,” said Tina C. Gordon, MPA, CAE, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA). “APRNs give Washington Regional a proven, cost-effective way to continue meeting patients where they are, all while maintaining the quality of care that North Carolinians deserve.”
By passing this bill, North Carolina legislators have a chance to bring the state in line with national standards recommended by the National Academy of Medicine3, 4, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing5, and numerous other bodies6.
At least 27 other states have already passed legislation similar to APRN Definitions, with positive results. Healthcare relies on evidence-based practice, and dozens of studies show these types of reforms are effective at increasing access to quality care while reducing costs.
Full Practice Authority has been endorsed by a diverse group of organizations from outside the nursing profession, and NCNA is excited to add Washington Regional Medical Center to this list:
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* Note: previous versions of the bill were entitled the Modernize Nursing Practice Act (2015, 2017) and the SAVE Act (2019, 2021, 2023)
1 https://www.ncnurses.org/advocacy/legislative/aprn-full-practice-authority/savings-estimate-for-full-practice-authority/
2 https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2025/04/27/many-hope-this-nc-countys-hospital-wont-close-its-the-only-one-around/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209880/
4 https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/HMD-HCS-18-11/publication/25982
5 https://www.ncsbn.org/nursing-regulation/practice/aprn.page
6 https://x.com/NCNA/status/1660632269978062849
MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Cowperthwaite, CAE, APR
Director of Communications & Outreach
(919) 821-4250 or chriscowperthwaite@ncnurses.org.
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