American Academy of Nursing's Raise the Voice Campaign

We are all aware that America's healthcare system is in desperate need of repair. Health care is inaccessible to many, expensive for most, and fragmented for all. Enabling the system to deliver the best possible care at an acceptable cost requires not just reformation but transformation—moving American health care away from its current hospital-based, acuity-oriented paradigm toward a patient-centered, convenient, helpful, and affordable system.

We also know that nurses' contributions to health care are critical and an indispensable part of solving our healthcare crisis. Accordingly, the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) launched the Raise the Voice campaign to raise awareness that in hospitals, universities, and health centers all over the country, nurses are devising new strategies to get patients and their families care that is safe, affordable, coordinated, and effective. With the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the AAN has been highlighting “Edge Runners”—the practical innovators who are leading the way in bringing new thinking and new methods to a wide range of healthcare challenges. These nurse-led research-based models of care are being utilized all over the country and have demonstrated improved health outcomes and reduced costs.

You can find a complete list of Edge Runners on the AAN's Web site: www.aannet.org. You can also find information about how to submit an Edge Runner profile and the criteria for Edge Runners. AAN is always looking for new innovations to highlight, so please contact Liz Parry at lparry@aannet.org for additional information. Edge Runners do not have to be Academy Fellows.

The AAN has gotten tremendous support from the Raise the Voice Advisory Council, chaired by The Honorable Donna Shalala, President of the University of Miami and formerly the US Secretary of Health and Human Services. These prominent public policy experts have highlighted the AAN's work in the media, when testifying before Congress, and at various healthcare forums. You can find a full list of Advisory Council members on AAN's Web site.

Finally, as the nation turns its attention to healthcare reform, it is important to remember that no single group of professionals or politicians will solve these complex problems alone. Any discussion about health reform without significant input from nursing leaders fails to draw on critical insight and innovative solutions from the nation's largest healthcare profession—and will ultimately be unsuccessful. The AAN believes that all potential solutions should be considered, and when models of care produce positive healthcare outcomes and demonstrate cost savings, we should encourage the replication and, if applicable, expansion of the models.