We learned in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic that healthcare is essential. Millions of people were without work, and countless people died from the disease, which rapidly spread in retirement homes and incarcerated communities. Hospitals were erecting tents in their parking lots to care for patients, and local emergency response teams were burdened around the clock with emergency medical transportation. A lot changed during the pandemic for people seeking care, and telehealth saw a surge never before seen. With that influx of care needed someone had to do it. Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants played a key role in enabling millions of appointments. Even then, the system is still inundated, and we need more care.
Groups echo healthcare reform as being essential, but where does the healthcare come from if there is not enough care to go around? Per-person spending jumped to $11,319 by 2023, driven by higher prices and increased utilization. Numbers are slowly coming out showing an even more substantial rise in the cost of care. Between 2020 and 2025, New Jersey prioritized expanding its physician workforce, with over 1,500 medical residents finishing their training in 2024, and around 471 (30%) of them choosing to practice in-state. The number of active Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in New Jersey increased by roughly 35%, rising from 12,107 in 2020-2021 to 16,317 in 2023-2024, representing a significant influx of over 4,000 new or newly active APN licenses during that period. Individual state statistics for phycsisan assistants are not available for New Jersey during this period.
New Jersey's population has rebounded, reversing post-2020 declines, reaching over 9.5 million by early 2025. From April 2020 to July 2025, the state grew by about 2.8%, largely driven by international immigration despite domestic out-migration, making it one of the fastest-growing states.
With the increasing population, healthcare needs have grown. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order No. 112 on April 1, 2020, temporarily waiving the requirement for Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) to work under a supervising or collaborating doctor. Just before leaving office, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 415 on January 16, 2026, officially ending the COVID-19 State of Emergency.
Now, as the crisis looms over care access, what happens? On February 13th, 2026, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed Executive Order No. 13, temporarily extending the COVID-19 State of Emergency. This will allow APNs and PAs to catch up with the new regulations about to take hold.
“With today’s executive order, we are providing more time for advanced practice nurses and physician assistants to adjust to this new regulatory landscape, delivering on our commitment to make it easier for small businesses to thrive in New Jersey,” said Governor Sherrill. “Many health care professionals across New Jersey are bracing for impact as years-long state of emergency provisions come to an abrupt end. These sudden regulatory changes will have wide-ranging impacts on health care professionals and patients alike – potentially even forcing clinics and small, independent practices to close their doors, making it more difficult for New Jerseyans to access critical health care services.”
There are over 16,000 APNs in NJ, with 84% in primary care and 7% in mental health, making them essential for covering the 1.86 million residents on Medicaid. Not only do those on Medicaid see an APN, but many others with employer-sponsored or private-sector health insurance also use APN care for affordability and convenience.
With so many at risk of a catastrophic healthcare disaster in 45 days, will the government take action to codify care?