[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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