III 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 643 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 23, 2010 Mr. Inouye (for himself and Mr. Alexander) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating the week beginning October 3, 2010, as National Nurse-Managed Health Clinic Week.

Whereas nurse-managed health clinics are nonprofit community-based health care sites that offer primary care and wellness services based on the nursing model; Whereas the nursing model emphasizes the protection, promotion, and optimization of health as well as the prevention of illness and the alleviation of suffering along with diagnosis and treatment; Whereas nurse-managed health clinics are led by advanced practice nurses and staffed by an interdisciplinary team of highly qualified health care professionals; Whereas nurse-managed health clinics offer a broad scope of services that may include treatment for acute and chronic illnesses, routine physical exams, immunizations for adults and children, disease screenings, health education, prenatal care, dental care, and drug and alcohol treatment; Whereas nurse-managed health clinics have a proven track record, as the first federally funded nurse-managed health clinic was created more than 30 years prior to the date of approval of this resolution; Whereas, as of the date of approval of this resolution, more than 200 nurse-managed health clinics provide care across the United States and record over 2,000,000 client encounters annually; Whereas nurse-managed health clinics serve a unique dual role as both safety net access points and health workforce development sites, given that the majority of nurse-managed health clinics are affiliated with schools of nursing and serve as clinical education sites for health professions students; Whereas nurse-managed health clinics strengthen the health care safety net by expanding access to primary care and chronic disease management services for vulnerable and medically underserved populations in diverse rural, urban, and suburban communities; Whereas research has shown that nurse-managed health clinics experience high patient retention and patient satisfaction rates, and nurse-managed health clinic patients experience higher rates of generic medication fills and lower hospitalization rates when compared to similar safety net providers; and Whereas the use of nurse-managed health clinics offering both primary care and wellness services will help meet this increased demand in a cost-effective manner: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)designates the week beginning October 3, 2010, as National Nurse-Managed Health Clinic Week; (2)supports the ideals and goals of National Nurse-Managed Health Clinic Week; and (3)encourages the expansion of nurse-managed health clinics so that nurse-managed health clinics may continue to serve as health care workforce development sites for the next generation of primary care providers.