Thanks to David Kidder, the CEO at Pisgah Manor for alerting us to this recently passed bill (H331):

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/PDF/H331v3.pdf

The bill modifies current law and grants Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants the same abilities as Physicians ‘enjoy’ regarding completion of death certificates.   This expansion of privilege may simplify the job of ECP clinicians by increasing the number of staff who can sign a Death Certificate.

However, this bill does nothing to simplify the process of getting the Death Certificate signed in a timely manner by someone familiar with the patient at night on or the weekend.  A solution to that problem awaits the State’s development of an Electronic Death Certificate clearing house (web based).  You will note that electronic signatures are already permitted by statute

“ When specifically approved by the State Registrar, an electronic signature or facsimile signature of the physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner shall be acceptable.”

Some day, the State may develop an online death certificate application which would allow the attending clinician to be the person who completes the actual diagnosis for cause of death, while allowing an On-call staff member to assign a tentative diagnosis to permit cremation.