[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 135 (Tuesday, September 13, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5583-S5584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL NURSE-MANAGED HEALTH CLINIC WEEK

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 256 and 
the Senate proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 256) designating the week of October 
     2 through October 8, 2011, as ``National Nurse-Managed Health 
     Clinic Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any related statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S5584]]

  The resolution (S. Res. 256) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 256

       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, the prevention of 
     illness, the alleviation of suffering, and the diagnosis and 
     treatment of illness;
       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 including 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 35 years ago;
       Whereas, as of June 2011, more than 250 nurse-managed 
     health clinics provided care across the United States and 
     recorded more than 2,000,000 client encounters annually;
       Whereas nurse-managed health clinics serve a unique dual 
     role as both health care 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 students 
     entering the health profession;
       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
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of October 2 through October 8, 
     2011, 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.

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