(click here to view previous letter)

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November 12, 2002

The President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The undersigned organizations respectfully urge all parties - the Administration, the House and the Senate - to work together to quickly finish FY 2003 appropriations when Congress returns November 12th and to provide the highest possible funding for the breadth of public health programs.

The nation faces multiple challenges: the possibility of war with Iraq, an uncertain economy, the continuing war on terrorism and strengthening homeland security. These grave matters will require the close attention of Congress and the Administration in the coming months and particularly in the new year. It is, therefore, essential that Congress and the Administration resolve their differences and finish the FY 2003 appropriations process before the end of the calendar year. The undersigned organizations urge you not to support a long-term Continuing Resolution that will disrupt programs across the U.S. Public Health Service impeding the planning and efficient delivery of a host of critical health and preventive health services, interrupting the training of health professionals in short supply and disrupting grants that fund biomedical, behavioral and health services research that harbors the hope of millions.

To respond to this letter, please contact Marcia Mabee, PhD; Executive Director, Coalition for Health Funding; 11479 Waterview; Suite 200; Reston, VA 20190; voice: 703-709-3001; FAX: 703-709-3003.

Sincerely,

Academic Health Centers Clinical Research Forum
Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists
Allegheny Singer Research Institute Center for Genomic Sciences
Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine
Alliance for Aging Research
Alliance for Children and Families
Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning
Alzheimer's Association
Ambulatory Pediatric Association
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Dermatology
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association for Dental Research
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
American Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Association of Anatomists
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Immunologists
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work
American Cancer Society
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
American College of Cardiology
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
American College of Preventive Medicine
American College of Rheumatology
American College of Surgeons
American Counseling Association
American Dental Association
American Dental Education Association
American Diabetes Association
American Federation for Medical Research
American Foundation for AIDS Research
American Gastroenterological Association
American Geriatrics Society
American Group Psychotherapy Association
American Heart Association
American Medical Student Association
American Medical Women's Association
American Mental Health Counselors Association
American Nurses Association
American Optometric Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Pediatric Society
American Physiological Society
American Podiatric Medical Association
American Public Health Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Psychological Association
American Psychological Society
American Social Health Association
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Pediatric Nephrology
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Human Genetics
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
American Sociological Association
American Thoracic Society
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Arthritis Foundation
Association for Academic Surgery
Association for Medical School Pharmacology
Association for Molecular Pathology
Association for Research in Otolaryngology
Association for Surgical Education
Association for the Advancement of Psychology
Association of Academic Health Centers
Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries
Association of Academic Physiatrists
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Chairs of Department of Physiology
Association of Departments of Family Medicine
Association of Family Practice Residency Directors
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs
Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs
Association of Medical School Psychologists
Association of Professors of Dermatology
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Reproductive Health Professionals
Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health
Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Association of University Professors of Neurology
Association of University Programs in Health Administration
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Boston University School of Medicine
Boys Town National Research Hospital
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
California Area Health Education Center
Campaign for Medical Research
Case Western Reserve University
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Center for the Advancement of Health
Child Welfare League of America
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
Clinical Social Work Federation
Coalition for American Trauma Care
Coalition for Health Funding
Coalition for Health Services Research
Columbia University Health Sciences
Community Voices - El Paso
Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief
Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals
Consortium of Social Science Associations
Cooley's Anemia Foundation
Coriell Institute for Medical Research
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
Councils of the American Society for Investigative Pathology
Creighton University
Christiana Health Care System
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Dartmouth Medical School
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Duke University Health System
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Endocrine Society
Every Child By Two
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
Florida AIDS Action
Friends of the National Library of Medicine
General Clinical Research Centers Program Directors' Association
Gerontological Society of America
Harvard Medical School
HIV Medicine Association
Human Rights Campaign
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research
International Society of Psychiatric Mental-Health Nursing
Jeffrey Modell Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Legal Action Center
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport.
March of Dimes
Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical Dermatology Society
Medical Group Management Association
Medical Library Association
Mount Sinai Medical Center
NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals
National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
National Association for Biomedical Research
National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information
National Association for Rural Mental Health
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
National Association of Children's Hospitals
National Association of Community Health Centers
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of County Behavioral Health Directors
National Association of Geriatric Education Centers
National Association of Local Boards of Health
National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses
National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems
National Association of School Nurses
National Association of Social Workers
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
National Association of State EMS Directors
National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges
National Black Women's Health Project
National Caucus of Basic Biomedical Science Chairs
National Coalition for Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases
National Coalition of STD Directors
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Institute for Health Care Management
National Kidney Foundation
National Marfan Foundation
National Mental Health Association
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Network for Youth
National Organization for Rare Disorders
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
National Osteoporosis Foundation
National Rural Health Association
New York University School of Medicine
North American Primary Care Research Group
North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health
Orthopaedic Hospital of Los Angeles
Orthopaedic Research Society
Orthopaedic Trauma Association
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Partnership for Prevention
Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America
Penn State College of Medicine
Research!America
Research Triangle Institute
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Shands HealthCare
Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation
Society for Investigative Dermatology
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society for Neuroscience
Society for Pediatric Research
Society for Public Health Education
Society for Research in Child Development
Society of General Internal Medicine
Society of Internal Medicine
Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Society of University Surgeons
Southern Illinois School of Medicine
Spina Bifida Association of America
Spina Bifida Foundation
Stritch School of Medicine Loyola University Medical Center
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Temple University School of Medicine
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
The Genome Action Coalition
The Johns Hopkins University
The Protein Society
The Society for Investigative Dermatology
Tourette Syndrome Association
Trust for America's Health
Shands Health Care
UCLA School of Medicine
United Cerebral Palsy Associations
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Arizona
University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Francisco
University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
University of Florida Health Science Center
University of Iowa Health Care
University of Kansas School of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
University of Michigan Health System
University of Michigan Medical School
University of Minnesota
University of Missouri Health Care
University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester Medical Center
University of South Alabama
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
University of Utah Health Science Center
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
UPMC Health System
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Washington Business Group on Health
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
West Virginia Rural Health Education Partnerships / Winding Roads Health Consortium
West Virginia University School of Medicine
Wisconsin Association for Biomedical Research & Education
Wright State University School of Medicine
Wyoming Area Health Education Center

Cc: Director Mitchell Daniels
Secretary Tommy Thompson

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NURSE REINVESTMENT ACT FUNDING
Letter of Support from Businesses, Consumers, and Health Care Organizations

(click here to view previous letter)

 

October 8, 2002

Dear Senator or Member of Congress:

On behalf of a wide cross section of businesses, consumers and providers of critical health care services to tens of millions of Americans every day, we have joined together to urge you to support full funding of The Nurse Reinvestment Act (P.L. 107-205). Signed by the President on August 1st, this new law promises to begin addressing the critical shortage of nursing personnel within our nation's health care system.

The shortage is caused, in part, by the fact that the current nursing workforce is aging and that few young people are preparing to enter the profession. According to a widely quoted study by the American Hospital Association, more than 126,000 hospital nursing positions are unfilled today. With an additional 113,000 nurse and CNA vacancies in nursing homes today, this nation faces a serious health care workforce crisis. Over the next decade, this crisis will only intensify as 78 million aging Baby Boomers begin placing unprecedented demands on America's health care system. To meet projected needs for nursing professionals, our nation must provide the means to recruit and educate at least 125,000 new registered nurses a year.

The Nurse Reinvestment Act establishes vital programs designed to help address this shortage and invigorate providers' ability to deliver high quality health care. The act expands nurse scholarships and loan repayment programs, establishes geriatric training grants and career ladder programs. It provides loan programs to prepare faculty needed to educate the new generation of nurses. It enhances patient care delivery systems through the implementation of "best practices" for nurse administration and provides funds for public service announcements to encourage people to enter the nursing profession.

The Nurse Reinvestment Act is the result of a strong bipartisan and bicameral effort. It is good public policy directed toward addressing a growing crisis in our nation's health care system. We urge full funding for the programs the act authorizes programs that will work to ensure the integrity of our nation's health system and its ability to deliver high quality care.

Sincerely,

American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Critical Care Nurses
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Health Care Administrators
American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Nurse Practitioners
American Council on Education
American Health Care Association
American Hospital Association
American Medical Association
American Medical Directors Association
American Nephrology Nurses Association
American Nurses Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Organization of Nurse Executives
Association of Academic Health Centers
Association of American Medical Colleges
Career Staff Unlimited
Coalition of Women in Long Term Care
Colleagues in Caring: Regional Collaboratives for Nursing Work Force Development
Entrepreneurial Networking Group for Nurses
Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society
Extendicare Health Services Inc.
Federation of American Hospitals
Genesis Health Ventures
Integrated Health Services, Inc.
John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing
Johnson and Johnson
Lutheran Services in America
National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration in Long Term Care
National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants
National Association for Home Care
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association Psychiatric Health Systems
National Center for Assisted Living
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Medical Association
National Organization of Associate Degree Nurses
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
National Rural Health Association
Premier Hospital Alliance
Service Employees International Union
Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc.
SunBridge Healthcare Corporation
Sun Healthcare Group, Inc.
United States Chamber of Commerce
VHA Inc.
Visiting Nurse Associations of America

Click here for the complete bill text.

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NURSE REINVESTMENT ACT
Letter of Support from Health Care Organizations

August 7, 2002

Dear Member of Congress:

The organizations listed below, representing the breadth of health care delivery across the nation, thank you for voting to pass "The Nurse Reinvestment Act," H.R. 3487, which the President recently signed into law. This strong nursing workforce legislation marks an important step in helping address the critical shortage of nurses that our country is facing. Now, we urge you to make the funding of the Nurse Reinvestment Act a top priority.

Our nation is struggling with a growing shortage of nurses that affects our hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, and public health clinics on a daily basis. Because nurses are the largest health care delivery workforce in the nation, this burgeoning shortage threatens the very fabric of our health care system. We urge you to support a Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 appropriation of $250 million to adequately address this growing crisis. These dollars should be appropriated in addition to current funding provided for nursing education.

The nursing shortage is already hurting patient care. A recent survey of hospitals across the nation concluded nursing shortages are contributing to overcrowded emergency departments, emergency department diversions, increased wait times for surgery, discontinued patient care programs or reduced service hours, delayed discharges, and canceled surgeries. With the aging of the existing registered nurse population, declining interest in the nursing profession among prospective students, and an erosion of the nurse education infrastructure, the future holds little potential to resolve this crisis without decisive action from Congress.

On July 22, both chambers took the visionary step of passing the Nurse Reinvestment Act. This historic legislation holds the promise of attracting more people into the nursing profession, increasing the capacity for nurse education, and encouraging practicing nurses to remain in the profession. However, none of these programs will become a reality without adequate new appropriations.

Congressional passage of the Nurse Reinvestment Act is an important acknowledgement that the nursing shortage must be addressed now if we are to thwart a crisis in the future. We urge you to complete your good efforts on this legislation by supporting a FY 2003 appropriation of $250 million, in addition to funding currently provided for nursing education. A national commitment to the legislation is crucial to the health of all Americans. Thank you for consideration of this important issue.

Sincerely,