Keeping the Clinic Doors Open: Jury Service Exemptions for APRNs
- Esther Yu Smith
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
In Hawaiʻi, the healthcare workforce represents a fragile and overstretched reality rather than an abstract policy issue. The removal of even a single clinician from practice has significant consequences, particularly in rural communities where healthcare access is already limited and the margin for disruption is minimal.
This bill proposes a practical update to Hawaiʻi law by permitting actively practicing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to claim the same jury duty exemption currently available to physicians and dentists.
APRNs in Hawaiʻi possess full practice authority and deliver both primary and specialty care to elderly patients, individuals with disabilities, families, and working adults statewide. In numerous communities, especially outside Honolulu, APRNs serve as the primary healthcare providers rather than supplemental practitioners. Patient outcomes for APRN care are comparable to those for physician care, and many APRNs now operate independent practices under their own professional corporations, similar to physicians.
Current law explicitly exempts only physicians and dentists from jury service. As a result, an APRN managing an independent practice may be required to leave patients for extended periods, while remaining responsible for staff salaries, rent, malpractice insurance, and other operational expenses necessary to maintain a clinic.
The removal of a single clinician from practice produces tangible effects: appointments are canceled, chronic disease management is delayed, and urgent visits are redirected to emergency departments. In a healthcare system already strained by workforce shortages, jury service may unintentionally disrupt essential medical access.
This exemption is voluntary. As with physicians, APRNs would not be prohibited from serving on a jury but may claim exemption if service would create hardship or compromise patient care.
This bill acknowledges a fundamental principle: when healthcare access is limited, retaining clinicians in their practices is essential infrastructure rather than a luxury. Hawaiʻi cannot afford to regard frontline healthcare capacity as interchangeable or easily replaceable.
As the state seeks to improve healthcare access and retain providers, this type of legislative adjustment can prevent unnecessary harm. It represents a modest change with tangible benefits for patients, healthcare practices, and the overall stability of care throughout Hawaiʻi.
Residents who wish to support or oppose this bill may submit testimony through the Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s online system.
Comments