A Year of Advocacy and Impact by the Health Affairs Committee
By Donna Hamby
One of the goals of the Health Affairs Committee is to leverage and establish relationships to advance policy priorities. This past year, representatives from the committee participated in 12 coalitions and three task forces.
GAPNA created two coalitions, COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment in Long-Term Care (LTC) and APRNs in LTC, both designed to improve the health of our patient population and improve the role that the APRNs have in LTC.
As a result of these relationships, 31 letters were sent to congressional legislators, President Biden, and CMS leadership. The letters addressed various supports to improve care for the older adults and the APRNs who provide that care. The following are the bills that were addressed:
- Title VIII funding (nursing education and workforce development)
- ICAN Act (removing restrictions on APRN providers for Medicare and Medicaid recipients)
- Workplace Violence Nurse Corps Parity Act of 2023
- Waivers to continue after the end of the Public Health Emergency Act (i.e., telehealth)
- Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers (all PA and APRNs to provide services)
- Quality Measures reflecting hospitalized care of older adults
- Nursing home transparency
The Health Affairs Committee also contributed to two position statements and submitted comments to CMS regarding the staffing requirement regulation being considered. It is important to recognize the policy contributions of GAPNA members who are not on the health affairs committee but serve on other committees or special interest groups.
We have members who serve on the Moving Forward sub-committees to improve nursing home quality, as well as members serving on community boards and governmental committees.
Most recently, we have committee members working with CMS to develop required data for transition of care from the hospital to nursing facilities, skilled nursing, home health, and the community. Thank you to all members who are advocating for our older adults and our APRN members.