Advocacy
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Georgia Representatives
Georgia General Assembly Information
Important Contact Information
| Daniel Dell Government Relations Chair 229-456-0450 ddellcrna@gmail.com |
Steve Smith Federal Political Director 404-429-8553 slldt@comcast.net |
| Christy Dunkelberger, Esq. Executive Director/Legal Counsel 770-487-3900 ganaoffice@bellsouth.net |
Monty Veazey Lobbyist 229-386-8660 mveazey@gach.org |
Anna Polyak, RN, JD |
Frank Purcell, BS Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs 202-484-8400 fpurcell@aanadc.com info@aanadc.com |
ACCESS CURRENT STATE AND FEDERAL ISSUES
Government Relations Report
As the newly appointed Chair of the Government Relations Committee (GRC) for 2009-2010, I would like to thank and introduce those that have agreed to join me on the committee: Brent Dubois, Dewey Galeas, Melanie Marshall, Steve Smith, Seth Claxton (SRNA Mercer), and Emily Dollar (SRNA MCG). We anticipate a very active legislative year and look forward to closely monitoring any legislative or regulatory changes that could impact our practice as CRNAs.
A meeting with GANA lobbyist Monty Veazey, GANA President Barry Cranfill, Executive Director/Legal Counsel Christy Dunkelberger, PAC Chair Carmen Simmons, Public Relations Chair Melanie Marshall, and I has been scheduled to discuss critical state and national issues for the coming year. We will formulate goals for the GRC for the upcoming year which I will share with you in my next report.
CALANDER
Georgia General Assembly starts on January 11, 2010 and runs for 40 calendar days
National Nurse Anesthetist Week January 24-30, 2010
Proclamation signing with Governor Perdue and GANA Capitol Day: Thursday March
25th, 2010 at the Georgia State Capitol
Mid-Year Assembly: April 25-28, 2010 in Washington, D.C.
We will keep you informed of the above events by way of the GANA website www.gana.org and email via the listserv. Also under the “Advocacy” section of the website are both government and federal political affairs information. Please refer to the following sites when accessing legislative lookup and general assembly information: www.congress.org www.vote-smart.org and www.legis.state.ga.us
Healthcare reform is the hottest topic in the nation at this time. I would like to encourage each of you to closely monitor via the GANA and AANA websites as legislators battle out what may have a tremendous impact on our profession, and act when asked to contact your elected officials.
The phrase “Now more than ever” is often over utilized, but:
“Now more than ever” your involvement in your State and National organizations are paramount. Change is coming to healthcare; if we sit by silently we will have no voice in this change. I encourage each of you to get to know your State and U.S. representatives and let your voice be heard.
“Now more than ever” your contribution to the GANA PAC fund (can give online at the GANA website) is needed to ensure continued support to those that support CRNAs and the wonderful service we provide.
James Masiongale, CRNA, MHS
Federal Political Director (FPD) Report
I’m happy to report that this year’s Annual AANA Mid-Year Assembly (MYA) on April 10-13 in Washington DC was well attended by 31 CRNAs/SRNAs from Georgia. Thank you so much to all of you that attended. You made my job not only easy but a pleasure. You were all great! In all, there were over 700 CRNAs and SRNAs that attended from around the country. We spent the first two days learning about nurse anesthesia policy issues that affect CRNA practice, how those policies get decided and how to be an effective advocate on Capitol Hill. The next two days were actually spent on Capitol Hill visiting our 13 Congressman and 2 US Senators from Georgia discussing our issues. In addition, on Sunday evening the CRNA-PAC hosted a fundraising event on a Capitol Hill rooftop attended by 7 of us from Georgia and featured the all CRNA group The Laryngospasms. On Monday we had the opportunity to listen to candidates for the 2012 AANA Board of Directors and attended a fund raising event for US Senator Debbie Stabenow from Michigan, this year’s AANA National Health Leadership Award winner. The social highlight of the meeting was on Monday afternoon at the GANA hosted reception for Janice Izlar and Steve Smith. Just in case you don’t know by now, Janice Izlar CRNA, DNAP from Savannah is running for AANA President-Elect and Steve Smith CRNA, MA from Atlanta for AANA Resolutions Committee. The reception turned out to be a full house and fun for all.
Our message this year to the legislators was simple, “CRNAs Promote Access to Safe, Accessible and Affordable Care”. Evidence shows CRNAs help make healthcare work better and cost less. Studies in the Journal of Health affairs (August 2010) and Journal of Nursing Economics (June 2010) show that there is no difference in anesthesia patient safety by type of anesthesia professional and that nurse anesthesia care is not only safe but 25% more cost-effective than the next most cost-effective practice model. The Institute of Medicine (October 2010) says it would be good to allow APRNs such as CRNAs to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training, and recommends the removal of legislative and regulatory barriers such as Medicare Part A physician supervision of CRNAs which is already in effect in the current 16 opt-out states. Our action to Congress was to recognize the contributions that CRNAs make to improve patient access to high quality healthcare and reject attempts to use federal policy to impair patient access to anesthesia and pain management services provided by CRNAs.
Also on our agenda was to protect the Provider Nondiscrimination Law, which will take effect January 2014. This law is important because it protects patients and employers from out-of-control healthcare cost growth and promotes access to care by prohibiting health plans from discriminating against qualified licensed healthcare providers solely on the basis of the providers’ licensure. As always, we asked the legislators for their support of Nurse Workforce Development Funding and the Stabilization of Medicare Part B Reimbursement. Unless Congress acts this year Medicare Part B will be cut by more than 30% in January 2012.
Now that the AANA 2011 Mid-Year Assembly program is done we all need to realize that it is not over. Now is the time our work begins at home. There are a multitude of opportunities to develop professional relationships with your legislators by way of visits in the state or district offices, or through town-hall meetings, and particularly through CRNAdvocacy Alerts to send emails on critical and timely issues. We need to let our legislators know that we are the answer to high quality, safe and affordable anesthesia care. What we need from them is their help in removing barriers to prevent all CRNAs from practicing to the fullest extent of their training and education.
In closing I would briefly like to talk about the newly launched CRNA-PAC “Care to be Counted” campaign. Please visit the new website www.aana.com/caretobecounted.aspx. Your voluntary contributions will help strengthen the profession’s voice on Capitol Hill by helping to build nurse anesthetist relationships with members of Congress helpful to, and influential with, policy matters critical to CRNAs’ patients, practice, and profession. Also, on this site such things as “finding your elected officials” and “one-page briefs for legislator visits” can be found. As always, it is a pleasure serving as your FPD and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns dealing with federal policy, legislation, or regulation.
Stephen D. Smith CRNA, MA
Federal Political Director
slldt@comcast.net
404-429-8553
2012 GANA Capitol Day
Jim Masiongale, Rep. Barbara Sims, Maegan Brass and Brent DuBois |
Jim Masiongale, Brent DuBois, Rep. Jay Roberts, Senator Bill Jackson and Traci Bryan |
Jim Masiongale, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Maegan Brass, Traci Bryan and Brent DuBois |
Leutinent Governor Casey Cagle along with Courtney Carroll (Senior SRNA at GHSU), Allison Jester (Senior SRNA at GHSU), Kristin Huey (Junior SRNA at GHSU), Sarah Reed (Junior SRNA at GHSU), and Jennifer Simonetti (Senior SRNA at GHSU). |
Palmer Hummel, Christine Futch, Maegan Brass, Rep. Lynn Smith, Traci Bryan and Steve Smith |
Maegan Brass, Governor Nathan Deal, Jim Masiongale and Steve Smith |
Mid-Year Assembly in Washington DC, April 2011
Tom Opilka, Rebecca Hok, Cassandra Walton, Brandon Reddock, Jennifer Rhodes, Maggie Williams, Congressman Broun's LA Matthew Waldroup, Jim Masiongale, Whitney Huffman, Amy Masiongale, Mary Leary, Krissie Hooson and Barbara Waldron |
Martha Kral, Ann Thompson, Barbara Waldron, Cristy Cole, Congressman Lynn Westmoreland, Brandon Reddock Lacey Staten and Jennifer Rhodes |
Ann Thompson, Martha Kral, Saxy Chambliss' LA Richard Gerikitas, Maggie Williams, Brittany Schmitt and Tracie Abplanalp |
Mary Leary, Tom Opilka, Ann Thompson, Congressman Hank Johnson, Barbara Waldron, Tracie Abplanalp and Martha Kral |
GANA President Rose Synsmir, Congressman David Scott and Ann Thompson |
CRNAs and SRNAs from Georgia at the 2011 MYA |
Jennifer Hayes, Alex Abraham, Steve Smith, Tanya Ifill, GANA President-Elect Brent DuBois, Senator Isakson's Legislative Assistant Francie Pastor, Pierce Cannington and Cristy Cole |
Brent Dubois, Rose Synsmir, Congressman David Scott's LA Lauren Lattany, Tracie Abplanalp and Steve Smith |
Pierce Cannington, Cassandra Walton, Kellie Tinley, Congressman Sanford Bishop's LA Jonathan Halpern, Krissie Hooson and Steve Smith |
Steve Smith, Jim Masiongale, Brittany Schmitt, Congressman Rob Woodall, Rose Synsmir, Tanya Ifill, Maggie Williams and Amy Masiongale |
Ann Thompson, Rose Synsmir, Congressman John Lewis' LA Michaeleen Crowell, Alex Abraham and Steve Smith |
Krissie Hooson, Maggie Williams, Kellie Tinley, Jennifer Rhodes, Brent DuBois, Congressman Austin Scott, Brittany Schmitt, Mary Leary, Whitney Huffman, Lacey Staten and Steve Smith |
Georgia Rural Health Day February 16, 2011
Jim and Amy Masiongale, GHSU students Lacey Staton, Pierce Cannington, Kellie Tinley, Whitney Huffman and GANA ED/Legal Counsel Christy Dunkelberger |
Mercer students Julie Canada, Tracie Abplanalp and Davida Hilton |
GANA President-Elect Brent DuBois and Christy Dunkelberger |
House Appropriations Chair Terry England in the middle with GANA CRNAs and SRNAs |
Capitol Day January 28, 2011
Representative Harbin with GANA CRNAs and SRNAs |
Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Senator Jackson, MCG SRNA Julie Jackson, and Jim Masiongale, PD of MCG |
GANA President Rose Synsmir, Jim Masiongale and MCG student Tanya Ifill |
Jim Masiongale, Katie Truitt, Maegan Brass, Senator Mitch Seabaugh, Deanna Anselmo, Amy Masiongale and Barry Cranfill |
MCG Program Director Jim Masiongale with students Jennifer Perry and Maegan Brass presenting a check on behalf of the GANA to State Representative Ben Harbin from Evans, GA who is a strong supporter of the MCG Nurse Anesthesia Program |
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GANA 2010-2011 Year in Pictures
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