CFANPC Represented at D.C. AANP Health Policy Leadership Fellowship Program

CFANPC President Elect, Clelia Lima attended the AANP Health Policy Leadership Fellowship Program, met with our state's legislators and notable Nursing/NP advocates. See her summary below and attached photo. Way to go Clelia!  

Health Policy Leadership Fellowship Program

Washington DC – October 23-25, 2011

Dr. Jan Towers, AANP Director of Health Policy

 

Participants from Florida:

Clelia B. Lima, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C

President-Elect of the Central Florida Advanced Nurse Practitioner Council

Ying Mai Kung, PhD, MPH, ARNP, FNP-BC

President of the Tallahassee Area Council of Advanced Practice Nurses

Lolita Melhado, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C

Legislative Liaison of the Southern Gulf Coast Nurse Practitioner Council

 

We visited the offices and had meetings with the following Legislators:

 

Senator Bill Nelson – Met with Kerry Allen, Legislative Correspondent

Senator Marco Rubio – Met with Sally Canfield, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy

Congresswoman Sandy Adams – Met with her and Coleman Garrison, Legislative Assistant

Congressman Connie Mack – Met with Mala Krishnamoorti, Legislative Director

Congressman Steve Southland – Met with Blair Mixon, Legislative Assistant

 

Main topics of the meetings were regarding support for:

(a)   Home Health Planning and Improvement Act (H.R. 2267/ S.227). This bill is basically calling for a language change or an expanded interpretation of the word “physician” that is needed to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act. This will allow home health agencies to accept referrals from Nurse Practitioners.

(b)  Accountable Care Organizations (ACO). Statutory change to include assignment of patients of all ACO professionals including Nurse Practitioners.

(c)   Appropriations Title VIII. Funding for nurse practitioner programs and student traineeship. This is the only federal funding source for these programs since they have no access to graduate medical funds.

 

Besides the meetings in person we have been sending e-mails and follow-up with phone calls. So far, they all have been polite and positive but no real commitment for support.

 

 

 

We had a meeting with the following Legislators:

In the Senate

1. Dana Holvorson – Senate Finance Committee
2. Adrienne Hallett – Senate Appropriations Committee
3. Kelly Whitener – Finance
4. Camille Sealy – Senate HELP committee

 

In the House

1. Debbie Jessup – Legislative Assistant

Office of Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)

Health/Healthcare, Appropriations, Children/Family issues, Disabilities, Medicare/Medicaid, Reproductive rights, Social Security, Steam cell research, Welfare.

1. Charlene MacDonald – Senior Health Care Policy Advisor

Officer of Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA)

Agriculture, Civil Liberties, Civil rights, Education, Health/Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Science, Welfare.

1. Monica Volente – Legislative Director

Office of Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA)

Appropriations, Energy & Commerce, Health/Healthcare, Medicare/Medicaid

 

They all demonstrated positive view of expanding NP scope of practice and acknowledged NP contribution to the healthcare system. Most were concerned with the severe budget cut and the work of the “Super Committee”.

 

Speakers at the meeting in the Capitol Hill Hyatt Regency Hotel:

 

1. Julie Sochalski, PhD, RN, FAAN – Director, Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions

Trainingship program for primary care

Measure of success: Better Healthcare, Better Health, Reduced Cost

1. Jean Moody-Williams – Director of Quality Improvement Group – CMS
2. Ellen-Marie Whelan, PhD, NP – Senior Advisor – CMS Innovation Center

Encouraged to submit ideas to web page: innovations.cms.gov/summit

Resources $10 billion in 10 years

83% healthcare $ spent on chronic illness

1. Vivian Littlefield, PhD, RN– National Chair of Nursing – American Red Cross, represented by Karen Jorgenson. Reviewing expanded role of nurse practitioners at disasters areas across States
2. Tara Koslov (lawyer) – Deputy Director on Policy Planning for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). She presented many cases they have been involved helping to expand NP scope of practice, lately CRNA independent practice. Even though, they have limitations on how to deal with State laws, she is willing to help us in Florid regarding the controlled substance issue. The case has to be built on harm to competition, not to competitors

 

VA is expanding NP scope of practice for their institutions including authorization for all NPs working in the VA system to practice independently, including prescribe controlled substances regardless of the authority granted by their State licenses.