ASHHRA Advocacy Position Papers

2012 ASHHRA Advocacy Position Papers
The Advocacy Committee members met with members of Congress in May 2012 in order to present two AHA/ASHHRA position papers on matters critical to our industy:

Workforce – The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) greatly increases the demand for caregivers, especially primary care physicians and nurses. The law extends coverage to approximately 32 million uninsured people and requires public and private insurers to cover prevention and wellness services. ASHHRA seeks to address workforce issues on several fronts – workforce shortages, employee relations, and employee wellness.
Employee Relations – ASHHRA will focus on increased regulatory oversight and rulemaking initiatives primarily from the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board, nurse staffing patterns, mandatory lifting, and restrictions on unavoidable overtime.

Download Hill Visit Position Papers 2012 (PDF)

2011 ASHHRA Advocacy Position Papers
The Advocacy Committee members met with members of Congress in May 2011 in order to present two AHA/ASHHRA position papers on matters critical to our industy:

Workforce Development – ASHHRA will address issues of workforce shortages and health care reform changing the way we deliver care and run health care institutions.
Employee Relations – ASHHRA will focus on both the regulatory front and the legislative arena of nurse staffing patterns, mandatory lifting, Secret Ballot Protection Act, restrictions on unavoidable overtime, and employee wellness.

Download Hill Visit Position Papers 2011 (PDF)

2010 ASHHRA Advocacy Position Papers
The Advocacy Committee members met with members of Congress in May 2010 in order to present three AHA/ASHHRA position papers on matters critical to our industy:

Patient Lifting – we will focus on the issue that hospitals rely on the nurses’ expertise as to what is right for each patient
Ensuring Patient Safety and Quality Care – Mandated Staffing Ratios – we will focus on the issue of more funding to increase the supply of nurses, including more graduate faculty and facilities and equipment for training
Workforce Issues – we will focus on reasonable immigration laws for foreign nurses, the severe workforce shortages that are anticipated, and the funding needed for nursing and allied health care education funding

An excerpt from Marcia Miller Telthorster's HR Pulse Article...

"In this time of severe economic distress, high unemployment, bailouts and bankruptcies, your Advocacy Committee had a lot to say to our representatives and senators in Washington, DC. On May 18 and 19, ASHHRA Advocacy Committee members from across the country traveled to our nation’s capitol for two days of legislative action and had over 30 meetings with members of congress and staff. We presented the ASHHRA and the AHA position to them on several key issues and had an opportunity to listen to them tell us what they were hearing from their many constituents. We also offered our practical expertise to them as resources during the course of the next year and beyond."

View pictures from the 2009 ASHHRA Hill Visit

The ASHHRA Advocacy Committee made their annual hill visit to Washington, D.C. in May 2009 and presented the following five positions papers to Members of Congress.