Some nurse practitioners and other medical professionals are seeking greater independence in how they are allowed to provide medical care, especially in rural areas that don't have enough doctors.

Current state law requires nurse practitioners to have a "collaborative agreement" with a doctor in order to treat patients.

Although many physicians find the agreement necessary, nurse practitioners call it an impediment.

Beth Partin and Julie Gaskins run a mother-daughter health practice in Columbia that provides primary care with only nurse practitioners to hundreds of patients in the rural community.

Partin told The Courier-Journal that nurse practitioners should be granted more independence to treat patients in Kentucky, which has a shortage of health professionals in almost half its counties, according to the federal government.