For those of us in Washington, DC, the last few months of healthcare reform debate represent what we have been anxiously waiting for—an opportunity to reform healthcare delivery so that more people receive the care they need. And even more importantly for us, it is an opportunity to enhance the healthcare system so that it recognizes and utilizes the expertise and innovations that nurses can bring to healthcare delivery. To this end, the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) volunteers and staff have been working diligently to bring forward the messages of the value of nurse innovations to health care the importance of meaningful technology and high quality in healthcare delivery and nursing's contribution to cost-effective care.
We have continued to discuss the importance of all providers, particularly nurses, being able to practice to the full extent of their state practice act. Given the nation's growing shortage of healthcare providers, we will need to fully use all the professional services that each provider has to offer. We are committed to continue to work with other nursing and healthcare organizations to ensure insurance coverage for all Americans.
The AAN is taking every opportunity to work with Congress and the Administration. We are working to “be at the table” where decisions are made. Recently, the President's communications team held a call with a select group of nursing organizations—including AAN—about nurses and messaging in the media. These groups were asked to provide feedback regarding the documents the White House drafted based on the initial conversation. The AAN also worked with White House staff to provide contact information of nurse leaders who could provide accurate information and thoughtful insight on the administration's approach to the role of nursing in reform. Since then, the AAN has received multiple invitations to White House events and has been represented by AAN Secretary Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, and me.
In addition, the AAN was part of an impromptu meeting at the White House for women's health leaders in support of healthcare reform. On September 18, about 80 women attended a briefing session with First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius, and key White House outreach staff. Three female consumers from around the country made poignant statements about their own experiences with insurance discrimination, personal bankruptcy, and delay of treatment due to the high out-of-pocket costs of medical care. The First Lady asked for action now in support of healthcare insurance reform. She challenged the women in the room to let their voices be heard and to advocate for State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), family medical leave, and for women's rights (www.whitehouse.gov).
The AAN was invited to attend the debut of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Majority Leader's Report on Recommendations for Health Care Reform, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This event was well-covered by prominent members of the press due to the bipartisan support among the 4 former leaders of the United States Senate: Bob Dole, Tom Daschle, Howard Baker, and George Mitchell. There was optimism by the leaders for passage of reform—albeit without a public insurance option. The AAN will now be attending a series of bridge-builder breakfast meetings sponsored by the BPC to reach across political lines for the common good.
On July 28, Pam Cipriano, Pat Hinton-Walker, Joy Burwell and I met with David Blumenthal, Director of the Office of the National Coordinator. The meeting was extremely productive. He gave us the task to look outside the lines of meaningful use and define it from the nursing perspective. With the help of other Academy experts we are working on this charge and will be submitting it for consideration.
The AAN is actively working to build relationships with the Administration. In August we had a representative attend the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) “The Healthcare Workforce Crisis: A Summit on the Future of the Primary Care in Rural and Urban America.” Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, FAAN, Administrator of HRSA, and Bill Corr, Deputy Secretary of HHS, were among the presenters who spoke in support of expanding the primary care workforce. Since the conference, $33 million of stimulus funds have been allocated to support training primary health professionals and $25.7 million have been set aside for grants to expand and improve health centers.
A number of AAN staff met with Carolyn Clancy, MD, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The purpose of this meeting was to update her on what the AAN has been working on and explore ways in which the AAN could best access AHRQ's resources and expertise. Additionally, we are establishing relationships with the Indian Health Service and the Women's Health Office at the FDA to discuss our experience in women's health issues and health reform.
As this article is being written, AAN staff is paging through the Chairman's Mark of “America's Healthy Future Act of 2009.” This bill draft will be the road map we follow through the next steps of political debate on healthcare reform. The AAN is poised to work with consumer groups such as AARP and the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease as well as the nursing community to ensure that we, in the end, pass meaningful healthcare reform. I encourage you to closely follow the debate and weigh in with your legislators as needed. We will need to be vigilant to ensure that nursing's priorities are well-represented in the final bill language.
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