[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 151 (Thursday, November 29, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S7277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL NURSE-MANAGED HEALTH CLINIC WEEK

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 603 which was 
submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 603) designating the week of November 
     26 through November 30, 2012 as National Nurse-Managed Health 
     Clinic Week.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize all of the 
advanced practice nurses who work in Nurse-Managed Health Clinics in a 
resolution to designate November 26, 2012 through November 30, 2012 as 
National Nurse Managed-Health Clinic Week. National Nurse-Managed 
Health Clinic Week will provide a national platform from which to 
promote the pivotal services offered by the more than 200 nurse-managed 
health clinics in the United States. Led by advanced practice nurses, 
these clinics are a unique model for delivery of primary and preventive 
care.
  Within Nurse-Managed Health Centers, nurse practitioners and other 
advanced practice nurses deliver high quality and cost-effective 
services to diverse populations of all age groups and ethnicities. A 
substantial share of the patients are uninsured or on Medicaid. As 
safety net providers, Nurse-Managed Health Clinics provide care 
regardless of a person's ability to pay. In addition to the provision 
of health care services, Nurse-Managed Health Centers play an important 
role in the health profession's education. Most Nurse-Managed Health 
Centers are affiliated with colleges of nursing and provide clinical 
education opportunities to over 3,100 students annually from the fields 
of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, social work, and public health.
  A Senate Resolution will recognize the key role Nurse-Managed Health 
Centers play. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this tribute 
to Nurse-Managed Health Clinics.
  Mr. LEVIN. 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 that any 
related statements be printed in the Record as if read.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 603) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 603

       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, as of June 2011, more than 200 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;
       Whereas the 2011 report of the Institute of Medicine on the 
     future of nursing highlights the work nurse-managed health 
     clinics are doing to reduce health disparities by bringing 
     evidence-based care to individuals who may not otherwise 
     receive needed services; and
       Whereas nurse-managed health clinics offering both primary 
     care and wellness services provide quality care in a cost-
     effective manner: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of November 26 through November 30, 
     2012, 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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