Share:
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 12, 2024 11:02 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Michele Brooks |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Lyme Disease Continuing Education for Health Care Providers |
| I will be re-introducing legislation to require health care practitioners to learn more about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses as part of their continuing education. In 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Health recorded 15,793 lab-confirmed cases of Lyme disease. Research from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests these numbers are under-counted by a factor of 10, meaning as many as 157,000 cases of Lyme disease may have occurred in Pennsylvania in 2024. Approximately one in four cases of Lyme disease occurred in children, and children ages 5 to 9 are at the greatest risk for contracting Lyme. While many people know about the signature bulls-eye rash associated with Lyme disease, the "target" rash may not always emerge, and other symptoms of Lyme disease may initially go undetected. At a joint hearing on Lyme disease held in October 2017, many patients, physicians and other experts testified about how difficult it is to receive a proper diagnosis of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, and to receive proper treatment, especially if symptoms persist and antibiotics are administered only on a short-term basis. In order to ensure that doctors and other medical professionals receive the latest information about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, along with the evolving body of research, my bill will require health care practitioners renewing a license or certification to complete a certain number of approved continuing education classes which address Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. The continuing education curriculum will be approved by the respective licensing boards, in consultation with key stakeholders. This legislation will not increase the total amount of continuing education, but will only require that part of the current requirement of continuing education hours be comprised of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness prevention, diagnosis, management and information. As the threat of Lyme disease grows for Pennsylvanians, in terms of both prevalence and severity, this education will help health care providers gather the latest information on preventing, diagnosing and managing these diseases. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can reduce the risks of persistent symptoms, which can be debilitating, causing chronic pain and cognitive impairment if left untreated or incorrectly diagnosed. This legislation was Senate Bill 233 of last session, cosponsored by Senators Langerholc, J. Ward, Mastriano, Robinson, Brewster, Kane, Costa, Street, Comitta and Collett. I appreciate your consideration of cosponsoring this important legislation. Thank you. |
Memo Updated: December 12, 2024 11:03 AM