Coffee with Congressman Steve Womack

We cordially invite you to join us for a unique opportunity to connect with Congressman Steve Womack at our upcoming "Coffee with a Congressman" event.

This exclusive event for nurses and nursing students will provide you with a chance to discuss important healthcare issues, ask questions, and share your valuable insights directly with your Congressman.  Below are some of the issues we will discuss with Congressman Womack.  We want to thank Congressman Womack for voting for H.R. 1667 (117th): Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act.

Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act

This bill establishes grants and requires other activities to improve mental and behavioral health among health care providers.

Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must award grants to hospitals, medical professional associations, and other health care entities for programs to promote mental health and resiliency among health care providers. In addition, HHS may award grants for relevant mental and behavioral health training for health care students, residents, or professionals.

Additionally, HHS must conduct a campaign to (1) encourage health care providers to seek support and treatment for mental and behavioral health concerns, and (2) disseminate best practices to prevent suicide and improve mental health and resiliency among health care providers.

ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION:

• The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 7002 /S. 2815) aims to attract more nursing 
school faculty by narrowing the pay disparity between nurse faculty and nurses who work in 
clinical settings.
• Modeled after a successful pilot program, the Educating Future Nurses Act (H.R. 3623 / S. 
1586 ) would establish a funding stream in Medicare for hospitals to partner with schools of 
nursing, community-based care settings, and other hospitals to increase clinical education for 
APRN students. This impactful policy proposal is also reflected in the Site-based Invoicing 
and Transparency Enhancement (SITE) Act (S. 1869).
• The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (H.R. 7266/S. 3770) would make 
a $1 billion investment in schools of nursing with immediate infrastructure support and 
providing a proactive approach to meeting future workforce demands. 
• The Providing Real-World Education and Clinical Experience by Precepting Tomorrow’s 
(PRECEPT) Nurses Act (S. 1627). This legislation would address the national nursing 
shortage by providing a $2,000 tax credit for nurses to serve as clinical preceptors to nursing 
students and new hires. 
• The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs are authorized by Congress under 
Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act and administered by the Health Resources and 
Services Administration. These programs represent the only dedicated federal programs 
aimed at bolstering nursing education from entry-level preparation through graduate study. 
These programs address multiple facets of nursing workforce demand, including education, 
practice, recruitment, and retention. They also aim to recruit nursing students from diverse 
backgrounds and attract nurses to rural and medically underserved communities. ANA urges 
Congress to appropriate at least $302.472 million for Title VIII Programs in Fiscal Year 
2024, in accordance with the Senate Appropriations Committee-approved FY 2024 
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Act 
(S.2624). We also urge Congress to continue to invest in these vital Title VIII Programs 
when you pivot to FY 2025 funding.

Congress must pass the bipartisan Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN Act; H.R. 2713 / S. 
2418) to permanently remove barriers to care and increase access to high-quality services provided 
by APRNs under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Importantly, the bill does not change the 
scope of practice for any provider and does not supersede state law. Medicare patients residing in 
states with full practice authority face more hurdles to receiving care from APRNs than their fellow 
state constituents with other forms of health coverage. This bill would remove these outdated 
barriers and meaningfully increase access to care for Medicare beneficiaries across the country.