CFANPC Represented at D.C. AANP Health Policy Leadership Fellowship Program
Posted over 12 years ago by Elizabeth Rash
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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
- Dana Holvorson – Senate Finance Committee
- Adrienne Hallett – Senate Appropriations Committee
- Kelly Whitener – Finance
- Camille Sealy – Senate HELP committee
In the House
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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
- Jean Moody-Williams – Director of Quality Improvement Group – CMS
- 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
- 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
- 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.