A North Carolina Senate committee advanced legislation June 11 that would prohibit noncompete clauses for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and registered nurses.
Senate Bill 978, cleared by the Senate Health Care Committee chaired by Sen. Jim Burgin, R-Harnett, would bar noncompete agreements for those four clinical roles and add whistleblower protections for the same professionals who report violations of medical staff bylaws or patient safety concerns. The bill also prohibits nondisclosure agreements that prevent employees from discussing patient safety concerns with regulatory or licensing entities and protects clinical staff from retaliation — including termination, demotion, pay reduction or hostile work environment — after raising safety concerns.
Lawmakers cited staffing disruptions at Asheville-based Mission Health, owned by Nashville-based HCA Healthcare, as a catalyst for the noncompete and whistleblower provisions. The bill also caps nonprofit hospital CEO pay at 400 times the compensation of the lowest-paid full-time employee.
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