Advocacy
Legislative Lookup for Local, State, and Federal Officials
www.congress.org
www.vote-smart.org
Georgia General Assembly Information
Important Contact Information
| Jim Masiongale Government Relations Chair 706-721-8215 jmasiong@mcg.edu |
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 |
| Mitchell Tobin, JD Senior Director, State Government Affairs 847-655-1131 mtobin@aana.com sga@aana.com |
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
As your new Federal Political Director (FPD) it is an honor for me to take over the reigns from Martha Kral who has served in this position for the GANA for many years. Thanks Martha for all of your hard work, dedication and devotion while serving in this very important position.
As all of you are aware, we are facing perhaps some of the most challenging issues (health reform, scope of practice issues, Medicare teaching rules, Medicare reimbursement, pain management, and education funding) that we have collectively been faced with in the history of our existence as CRNAs, with health reform being number one on the list. The AANA supports health reform to expand access to high quality healthcare services that we can all afford. Regardless of your personal feelings on this issue, the AANA urges support for provisions that lower federal barriers to CRNA practice rights, provider nondiscriminatory reimbursement, Medicare payment reform, education funding, tort reform and health insurance reform.
Please take time to log on to www.aana.com (you must be a member to access complete information). Once you are signed on click on government relations and you will have access to all federal and state government affairs issues. Finally before you leave the website visit “Anesthesia E-ssential”. This was recently started up by the AANA in an effort to keep all members up to date on current affairs affecting us all. It is updated every two weeks.
It is not too early to start planning to attend the 2010 AANA Mid-Year Assembly in Washington, D.C. to take place April 25-28. If you have never attended you are missing out on the best and single most educational meeting offered by the AANA. You will learn all the legislative and regulatory issues facing CRNAs and then get the opportunity to personally present and discuss them with our 13 Congressmen and 2 Senators from Georgia.
If you have not yet given to the CRNA Political Action Committee (CRNA-PAC) this year I would encourage all of you to give at least $50.00 in order to strengthen our voice in Washington, D.C. The CRNA-PAC makes contributions to the federal political campaigns of CRNA friendly candidates for the US House and Senate, and to federal legislators particularly influential on healthcare issues important to CRNAs and their patients. Go to www.aana.com to learn more about donating and the “Beat the Clock Campaign”. Here in Georgia the CRNA-PAC has donated $1000.00 each to Johnny Isakson and John Barrow for their next upcoming federal election cycle.
In my next To and Fro report I will focus on the new “AANA Key Contact Program” which is an organized, proactive and strategic grassroots advocacy program. Its purpose will be to build a strong on-going relationship with key congressional members in positions important to the policy goals and objectives of the organization. In the mean time your new Government Relations Committee (GRC) Chair, Jim Masiongale and I will be busy working on updating the www.gana.org “Advocacy” site in an effort to bring you the most updated and useful information concerning government affairs.
Steve Smith CRNA, MA
Government Relations
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May 16, 2009-CRNA's Martha Kral, the GANA Federal Political Director and Janice Izlar, Region 2 Director, attended a fundraiser in Savannah for Senator Johnny Isakson. Martha and Janice had the opportunity to discuss healthcare reform and CRNAs with Senator Isakson. |
GANA Capitol Day 2009
Capitol Day/Nurse Anesthetists Week Celebration January 29, 2009
Steve Smith (GANA President), Representative Gloria Frazier from District 123,
Taushera Westbrook (MCG SRNA), Lisa Stephens (Assistant Program Director, MCG),
and Representative William Quincy Murphy from District 120.
MCG and Mercer Students.
Mercer Students.
MCG Students.
