Volume 7/Issue No. 1 February 24, 2009
	ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR Attends SCHIP Bill Signing at White House On February 4, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) into law. ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR was among the invited guests on hand at the White House as the President signed the legislation. read the article
	ANA Supports Medicare Prescription Drug Pricing Authority On January 22, 2009, ANA sent a letter of support to House Appropriations Committee member Rep. Marion Berry (D-AR) supporting the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2009 (H.R. 684). This bill would grant Medicare the authority to directly negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. read the article Medicaid APRN Access Bill Reintroduced in Senate On January 6, 2009, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), re-introduced the Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act of 2009 (S. 63). This ANA-endorsed legislation would remove barriers that keep advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) from participating fully in state Medicaid Programs. A House companion bill is expected soon. read the article Economic Stimulus Package Signed Into Law; Funding for Nursing Workforce Included The American Nurses Association (ANA) commends lawmakers for their work on the much needed stimulus legislation and for recognizing the vital need to include funds to strengthen the health care workforce. The final plan contained $11.46 billion for strengthening the health care workforce, including $500 million in health work force investments such as Title VIII nurse training programs. President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1) into law on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 in Denver, CO. read the article HHS Provider Conscience Rule: ANA Viewpoint Featured on CNN In December 2008, ANA Chief Programs Officer Mary Jean Schumann, RN, MSN, CPNP and the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses were featured in a CNN story regarding the new Health and Human Services "Provider Conscience" regulation. This rule would significantly expand the ability of a broad range of health care workers and providers (even those not involved in direct patient care) to withhold treatment, counseling, or medical information because of their individual religious or moral beliefs - without regard to the needs of the patient. The CNN segment can be viewed on Nursing World by going to "Media Resources" - "Media Backgrounds" - "ANA Weighs in on 'Provider Conscience' on CNN." read the article Wyoming Nurses: Passion in Action Janet Haebler, MSN, RN, Associate Director for ANA's State Government Affairs delivered a session on how Wyoming fits into ANA's Nationwide State Legislative Agenda. read the article The Power of a Nurses Voice Imagine 800 plus nurses and nursing students marching through the streets of Richmond, Virginia towards the Capitol. That's exactly what happened on Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 as part of the Virginia Nurses Associations Annual Nurses Day at the General Assembly. read the article Copyright 2009 American Nurses Association For more information contact gova@ana.org			ANA Attends Events on Capitol Hill to Celebrate the Opening of the 111th Session of Congress In early January, the 111th session of the United States Congress convened in Washington, DC. read the article A Lucky Nurse at the Inauguration ANA Member Cynthia Cardon Hughes, MSN, RN on her experiences in DC during the Inauguration of President Obama. read the article ANA Member Appointed HRSA Administrator On February 20, ANA member Dr. Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, FAAN was appointed Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. read the article Salmonella in Peanut Butter Products The Food and Drug Administration has announced widespread recalls of several types of products containing peanut butter due to possible contamination with salmonella bacteria, which can cause serious, even fatal infections in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems. Fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are the usual symptoms. In rare cases, arthritis, endocarditis, and arterial infections (such as infected aneurysms) can also result. read the article FDA Advisory on Topical Anesthetics The US Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory on January 16, 2009, warning of the potentially serious hazards of applying topical anesthetics prior to mammograms and other procedures. read the article President Barack Obama signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into Law On January 29, 2009, President Barack Obama signed his first bill into law: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. read the article