NNCC UPDATE GREETINGS FROM NNCC EX-OFFICO CHAIRPERSON DR. CHRISTINA R. ESPERAT
G
reetings! I would like to take you through
have greater access to primary care and well-
the highlights so we can all bask together
ness services by creating a $50 million grant
in the achievements and happenings of the past
program to support nurse-managed health
couple of years...
clinics (NMHCs). The new grant program would
The first joint conference that we conducted
be placed within the Public Health Service Act
with the Community Service and Development
and be administered by the Health Resources
Trust of New Zealand, the New Zealand Nursing
and Services Administration’s Bureau of Pri-
Centers Consortium, entitled Global Healthcare
mary Health Care. In another a major step for-
Solutions for Vulnerable Populations was a great
ward, language supporting our grant program
success. The conference was an outcome of a
was included in the historic health care reform
2005 Eisenhower Fellowship Tine had in New
legislation currently being proposed by the
Zealand, and was held in Auckland, NZ, with par-
Senate’s Committee on Health Education La-
ticipants from such far flung places as Australia,
bor and Pensions. The changes in Congress
Ireland, Pakistan, and the United States conduct-
have mage the passage of major health care
ed discussions to address access to health care
reform legislation very likely. The inclusion of
from a community action, global and healthcare
our bill language in the Senate’s reform pro-
professional perspective. Specifically, the confer-
posal may give us the vehicle we need to make
We have continued in our ongoing activities
ence’s emphasis was on population-based and
the grant program a reality. For the NNCC, this
to provide a venue for nurse managed centers
community-based healthcare along with health
represents the culmination of our years of hard
throughout the country to share information
promotion and preventive care through nurse-
work to obtain federal support for the fiscal
and resources, through formal and informal
managed and nurse-led primary care and public
sustainability of our member centers. Now we
ways. Our other committees have been very
health programs. Plenary speakers included Min-
must keep up the pressure on our legislators to
active and productive, and have contributed
istry of Pacific Island Affairs Chief Executive Colin
ensure that funding for nurse-managed health
greatly to the work of the Consortium. For ex-
Tukuitonga; Director-General of Health Stephen
centers remains a part of health care reform.
ample, the Education and Program Committee
McKernan; and Diane Robertson from the Auck-
Please stay connected to us for updates and
is working energetically on planning for our
land City Mission. The NNCC was very well rep-
alerts regarding progress of these bills.
2009 Annual Conference, which is scheduled to
resented by a delegation that included Drs. Ken
Under the direction of Dr. Nancy Rothman,
be held in November 5-7, 2009 in Philadelphia.
Miller, Mary Jo Baisch, Tom Mackey, JoAnne Pohl,
Chair of the Quality Assurance and Research
We will keep everyone updated on the details of
Kate Fiandt, Joanne Pohl, Susan Antol, and Rebec-
Committee, a two-day workshop was convened
this upcoming program as they develop.
ca Wiseman and staff from NNCC, including Tine
in Independence Foundation headquarters in
As we move along through the remainder of
Hansen-Turton, Laura Line and Molly Pebberidge.
Philadelphia, to begin the work of developing
this year, let us continually remember our goals
We continue to work hard in the policy ad-
standards for nurse managed health centers.
as an organization: provide national leadership in
vocacy arena. Through the tireless efforts of
This effort will attempt to define, set and recom-
identifying, tracking, and advising healthcare pol-
our Executive Director, Tine, and Brian Valdez,
mend quality standards for member centers,
icy development; position nurse-managed health
Health Policy Manager, The Nurse-Managed
which can be to measure outcomes related to
centers as a recognized cost-effective mainstream
Health Clinic Investment Act of 2009 (formerly
client care elements, cost of care and nurse-
health care model; and foster partnerships with
S. 2112) was successfully reintroduced in the
managed health centers’ impact on health sta-
people and groups who share common goals.
U.S. Senate on May 20, 2009. The new num-
tus, as well as other standard elements still to be
Having these goals front and center, we will ful-
bered S. 1104 also has a companion bill HR
defined. Work on these standards will continue
fill our mission as an organization, which is to
2754 introduced in the House of Representa-
in the near future, which will hopefully culmi-
strengthen the capacity, growth and development
tives on June 8th 2009. This legislation would
nate in a set of standards that can be used for
of nurse-managed health centers to provide qual-
strengthen the nation’s healthcare safety-net
a variety of quality assurance and continuous
ity care to vulnerable populations and to eliminate
and ensure that the medically underserved
quality improvement purposes.
health disparities in underserved communities.
www.NNCC.us p 4