Year of the Health Nurse: 2017

December 11, 2016

Clean Air for Colorado Invitation

December 9, 2016

ANA Letter to President-Elect Donald Trump

December 6, 2016

December 5, 2016
Donald J. Trump President-Elect
1717 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20006

Dear President-Elect Trump:
America’s 3.6 million registered nurses (RNs) care profoundly about the health and welfare of our nation. Nurses provide expert, compassionate care for people throughout their life and work in every health care setting. As the largest group of health care professionals and the nation’s most trusted profession, nurses are a valuable resource for improving the nation’s health care delivery system.

For decades, the American Nurses Association (ANA) has advocated for health care system reforms that would guarantee access to high-quality, affordable health care for all. ANA is calling on you and your administration to prioritize the health of the nation, which is foundational to progress and economic growth. We are pleased to share our principles for health system transformation.

ANA’s Principles for Health System Transformation

The system must:
Ensure universal access to a standard package of essential health care services for all citizens and residents. This includes:
 An essential benefits package that provides access to comprehensive services, including mental health services.
 Prohibition of the denial of coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
 Inclusion of children on parent’s health insurance coverage until age 26.
 Expansion of Medicaid as a safety net for the most vulnerable, including the chronically ill,
elderly and poor.
Optimize primary, community-based and preventive services while supporting the cost-effective use of innovative, technology-driven, acute, hospital-based services. This includes:
 Primary health care that is focused on developing an engaged partnership with the patient.
 Primary health care that includes preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services delivered in a coordinated manner by members of the health care team.
 Removing barriers and restrictions that prevent RNs and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(APRNs) from contributing fully to patient care in all communities.
 Care coordination services that reduce costs and improve outcomes with consistent payment
for all qualified health professionals delivering such services, including nurses.
Encourage mechanisms to stimulate economical use of health care services while supporting those who do not have the means to share in costs. This includes:
 A partnership between the government and private sector to bear health care costs.
 Payment systems that reward quality and the appropriate, effective use of resources.
 Beneficiaries paying for a portion of their care to provide an incentive for the efficient use of services while ensuring that deductibles and co-payments are not a barrier to receiving care.
 Elimination of lifetime caps or annual limits on coverage.
 Federal subsidies based on an income-based sliding scale to assist individuals to purchase
insurance coverage.
Ensure a sufficient supply of a skilled workforce dedicated to providing high quality health care services. This includes:
 An adequate supply of well-educated, well-distributed, and well-utilized registered nurses.
 Increased funding, whether grant or loan repayment based, for programs and services focused
on increasing the primary care workforce.
 Funding to elevate support for increasing nursing faculty and workforce diversity.

ANA looks forward to working with you and your administration to address our nation’s health care challenges. We look forward to sharing the expertise of nurses throughout your transition period and presidency to improve the health care system and the health of the nation. Should you or your staff have any questions, please contact me or Michelle Artz, Director, Government Affairs ([email protected] or 301-628-5098).

Yours in partnership,
Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN President

Cc: Andrew Bremberg

For more information ANA Letter to President-Elect Trump

Nominations for Colorado's 2017 Nightingale Luminaries

December 5, 2016

Nominations are now open for the 2017 Colorado Nightingale Luminary Awards, administered and managed by the Colorado Nurses Foundation with regional outreach and regional selection provided by local Area Health Education Centers and independent Nightingale committees in the Pikes Peak Region and on the Western Slope.

The Nightingale Awards, given since 1985, are Colorado’s highest nursing honor. Nominations are accepted online at:
https://nightingaleluminary.awardsplatform.com/

Download 2017 Nightingale Nomination Poster

How to nominate a nurse

Meet with the nominee to discuss the categories and areas of recognition
Determine which category of practice best identifies the nominee:
Category I: Nurses in Clinical Practice (50% or their time or above providing direct patient care)
Category II: Administrators, Educators, Researchers, Non-Traditional Practice Roles (any other RN)
Determine area of recognition for the nominee and answer 6 to 7 questions regarding your nominee’s category/area of recognition. (Click here to review the questions):
Advocacy – advancing a cause or proposal
Leadership – motivating others to work toward a common goal
Innovation – demonstrating creativity that addresses today’s challenges/opportunities
Identify two individuals to request a letter of support from (other than the nominator). These letters of support should address how the nominee has advanced the profession of nursing or has positively impacted his/her community. Be sure to share with the letter writers the category and area of recognition for your nominee
Be sure to nominate your nurse in the correct region! Region corresponds to the county in which the nurse works. This list shows which regions accept nominations from which counties. If a nurse works in a facility, use the county in which the facility is located. If the nurse travels, use the county of the branch or office to which the nurse reports.

Download the Nightingale Nomination Questions

Key dates

Nominations close statewide on 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, except in Southwestern Colorado AHEC and San Luis Valley AHEC

Nominations close earlier in Southwestern Colorado AHEC (11:59 p.m., Monday, Dec. 12, 2016)

Nominations close earlier in San Luis Valley AHEC (11:59 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, 2016)

Please note the entry deadlines, these dates are final and there will be no extensions provided. The system will automatically prevent entry submission after the deadline
Regional Luminaries announced: Varies by region

Regional Luminaries recognized and state recipients announced: Saturday, May 13, 2017, at 7 PM Mountain time (tentative)
Support

If you have any questions on the entry process, please contact the organizers at [email protected] or 720-457-1004