Hon. Mike Turzai
125 Hillvue Lane, 1st Floor
McCandless, PA 15237

March 8, 2018

Dear Speaker Turzai,

As the Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer at the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium I speak for many of our members and nurse practitioners (NPs) across the state asking that you  bring HB 100 to the floor for a vote before the end of our legislative session in May. HB 100 will put patients first and modernize Pennsylvania’s Professional Nursing Law.

NPs play a critical role in caring for patients across Pennsylvania, especially in primary and family health care settings. We are also a crucial link to healthcare in Pennsylvania’s rural areas, where residents may otherwise face significant challenges accessing care in a timely manner. Indeed, this much needed access to primary care in rural areas is the reason State Representative Jesse Topper introduced HB 100 on behalf of his constituents.

In January 2018, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urged the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to pass HB 100 in a letter to Rep. Topper. The FTC remarked:

The support of HB 100 from the FTC is a notable addition to the robust list of national and Pennsylvania-based supporters of the legislation, including the National Academy of Medicine, PA Hospital and Healthsystem Association, the Commonwealth Foundation, and AARP.

I urge you to stand with Pennsylvania residents, Rep. Topper, and your many colleagues who support HB 100 and bring this legislation to the floor for a vote. Enacting full-practice authority for this important sector of healthcare professionals will help expand access to quality care for all Pennsylvanians.

Sincerely,
Cheryl Fattibene, MSN, MPH, CRNP
Chief Nurse Practitioner Officer
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium

CC: Representatives Mark Mustio, Harry Readshaw, Zachary Mako, Rosemary M. Brown, Jim Christiana, Gary Day, Joe Emrick, Keith Gillespie, Susan C. Helm, David S. Hickernell, Jerry Knowles, John Maher, Steven C. Mentzer, Marguerite Quinn, James R. Santora, Curtis G. Sonney, Tarah Toohil, Tim Briggs, Carolyn T. Comitta, Dom Costa, Margo L. Davidson, Tina M. Davis, Daniel J. Deasy, Jordan A. Harris, William C. Kortz, II, Joanna E. McClinton, Adam Ravenstahl

Click here to see the list of organizations that support full practice authority in Pennssylvania.

Yesterday, the President released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Budget Proposal outlining deep cuts to the Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act). The Nursing Community Coalition, which includes 58 national nursing organizations, opposes in the strongest terms any reduction in funding for what continues to be the most critical source of federal support for the nursing pipeline. The Title VIII programs provide vital resources to help meet the nation’s demand for nurses, especially in rural and underserved areas, by offering funding to further the education, practice, recruitment, and retention of our nursing workforce.

The Trump Administration recommends to Congress that the Title VIII programs be funded at $83 million, which is a cut of $145 million (nearly 64%) from previous years. With over four million licensed Registered Nurses (RNs), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), and nursing students across the country, the profession embodies the drive and passion to continually improve care for patients, families, and communities across the continuum. RNs and APRNs are needed to provide quality care and safeguard public health. Without this critical funding for Title VIII programs, the pipeline of future nurses and the faculty who educate them will be at risk.

The Nursing Community Coalition is concerned about the proposed cuts to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). The Addendum to the President’s Budget recommends $146 million for NINR, cutting the institute’s budget by approximately $3 million. Nursing science transforms how care is delivered at the bedside, in the community, and in the home; the slightest decrease in funding to an already tight budget would create an unwarranted barrier to new and existing research. Many of the findings from nursing science can be put directly to practice, changing lives and promoting wellness.

The President’s FY 2019 Budget Proposal also proposes $10 billion in new funding for FY 2019 to combat the opioid crisis. The Nursing Community Coalition commends the President’s inclusion of this funding, which would expand access of treatment and recovery support services to those suffering from opioid addiction. The Nursing Community Coalition has worked in the 115^th Congress to promote and support legislation, specifically the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act (H.R. 3692/S. 2317), that would drastically increase access to those suffering from opioid addiction by allowing APRNs to fully utilize their clinical training to provide treatment.

The National Nurse-Led Care Consortium is a member of the Nursing Community Coalition.

Following months of uncertainty and funding cliffs, Congress fully-funded several vital healthcare programs, including:

This fiscal plan provides much-needed long-term stability for millions of vulnerable Americans, and supports programs like the Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership.

Over the past few months we have asked you to contact your member of Congress, and ask them to support these important healthcare programs. Thank you for your support. Your support made this possible.

Read more:

Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation

The Hillman Innovations in Care Program offers two three-year grants of up to $600,000 each. The program seeks applications from nursing-driven, evidence-based, patient- and family-centered initiatives that challenge conventional strategies, improve health outcomes, lower costs, and show potential for national replicability.

Click here for more information.

Proposals due: