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Proposed legislation in Ohio might improve x-ray staffing in urgent care, and it could also have a significant effect on urgent cares’ bottom lines. The state has been a policy outlier because Ohio requires a physician to be physically on-site to provide direct supervision for general x-ray machine operators—which doesn’t align with the reality of today’s urgent care staffing model where centers are predominantly led by nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). The bill amends state law to explicitly authorize NPs and PAs to provide direct, on-site supervision for machine operators. It also aims to create pathways for recognizing out-of-state credentials to help increase the available workforce. Currently the bill is with a senate committee, and a coalition of Ohio urgent care operators are advocating for its passage, urging legislators to consider the positive impact on healthcare costs, coverage, and patient access.
Urgent care acceleration: “Ohio’s outlier x-ray rules have stunted the growth of urgent care in rural regions, often leaving the emergency department as the only after-hours option for imaging,” says Alan Ayers, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM. “By modernizing these rules to match national standards, S.B. 324 removes a critical barrier. It will help expand the labor base, lower costs, and finally bring more accessible x-ray services closer to home, especially for rural Ohioans.”