Government Affairs
Legislative Updates
The Nurse Licensure Compact bills are stalled in the MN Legislature
URGENT! Your help is needed!
SF0513 (Sen. Chris Gerlach) HF3194 (Rep. Kim Norton)
In order for the bills to continue to move through the legislative process, a hearing must take place in the Licensing
sub-committee. The deadline for hearings is 3/12/2010. The NLC is NOT on the agenda.
Please help this bill keep moving! The members of the licensing sub-committee need to hear from you, your legislators need
to hear from you. Contact information for the committee is listed below.
Thank you in advance for your support. Please contact me with any questions or concerns!
Licensing Division Membership 2009 - 2010
Meets: Fridays at 8:30 a.m. in Room 200 of the State Office Building.
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Committee Chair
Cy Thao
359 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-5158
E-mail: rep.cy.thao@house.mn |
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Vice Chair
Julie Bunn
521 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-4244
E-mail: rep.julie.bunn@house.mn |
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Lead-GOP
Matt Dean
287 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-3018
E-mail: rep.matt.dean@house.mn |
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Jim Abeler
203 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-1729
E-mail: rep.jim.abeler@house.mn |
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Tom Emmer
301 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-4336
E-mail: rep.tom.emmer@house.mn |
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Erin Murphy
413 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-8799
E-mail: rep.erin.murphy@house.mn |
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Kim Norton
387 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-9249
E-mail: rep.kim.norton@house.mn |
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Maria Ruud
515 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155
651-296-3964
E-mail: rep.maria.ruud@house.mn |
Committee Staff
Administrator: Kate Perushek 651-296-3244
Legislative Assistant: Vickie Benson 651-296-5526
Health Care Home
A New Minnesota Legislative Initiative
Posted Dec, 2009
There is breaking news in the health care industry related to a legislative initiative. In 2008 Minnesota health care reform legislation
required "health care homes" for all Medicaid, SCHIP, state employees, and privately insured Minnesotans (statute 256B.0751). Our January 12,
2010 meeting will focus on this new initiative and how it will affect the role of Occupational Health in the community. Read the following
information from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
What is a health care home?
A health care home is an approach to primary care in which primary care providers, families, and patients work in partnership to improve
health outcomes and quality of life for individuals with chronic or complex health conditions. The development of health care homes in
Minnesota is driven by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim, an initiative to simultaneously achieve the following goals:
- Improve the individual experience of care.
- Improve the health of the population.
- Improve affordability by containing the per capita cost of providing care.
Minnesota's approach to health care homes
The goal behind health care homes is to improve the health and quality of life of individuals with chronic or complex diseases.
MDH and the Department of Human Services (DHS) have strived to create a system that focuses on outcomes while allowing providers the
flexibility to innovate. This redesign of primary care puts patients and families at the center of care and allows them to work in
partnership with providers. At the same time, coordination is increased between providers and community resources, ultimately improving
the clinic team's satisfaction and the patient’s experience, health status and costs. Health care homes also represent one type of
payment reform because providers will be reimbursed for care coordination, a service that adds comprehensive value, rather than
only for specific procedures and tests.
- There are five standards with measurable criteria that support each standard. The major categories for standards include:
Access/communication
Patient tracking and registry functions
Care coordination
Care plans
Performance reporting and quality improvement
- The proposed rule has been published for public comment and is currently in the final stages of development. It is available for review
at http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/homes/standards/proposedrule.html
This legislation does affect you, so join MAOHN as the Minnesota Department of Health brings us up to speed at our meeting on January 12,
2010. Sign up for this interesting and informative meeting related to Health Care Homes and the role of Occupational Health Nursing.
Legislative Tools for Occupational Health
It's important for those of us in Occupational Health to stay current with regard to legislative issues. In fact, decisions made at the state level affect
the work we do and have an impact on the long and short-term health of Minnesotans.
It's easy to become disconnected from legislative efforts, but with the rapid change environment surrounding health care reform, our specialty becomes
even more important. You will find there are many avenues for occupational health nurses to get involved and to get the information needed to keep current.
Several links are listed that can bring you directly to information about legislative action, and can guide you through the workings of the legislative
process.
Minnesota Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) - The Work Continues
Not sure what the Compact is? No problem! Just click on the fact sheet written by Judy
Santiago, RN. She is a strong advocate for the agreement, and will continue to give us updates and share information as the legislation progresses.
Read on as Judy shares her insights into the legislative process.
Strong organizations, including MAOHN support the precepts of the NLC and include:
Mayo Clinic
Health Partners Hospitals and Clinics
Gillette Health Systems
Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing (MOLN)
Minnesota Directors of Nursing Administration (MN-DONA)
Minnesota Association of Occupational Health Nurses (MAOHN)
Minnesota State Council of Peri-Operative Nurses (MNSCORN)
Case Managers Society of America-Minnesota Chapter (CMSA)
Care Providers of Minnesota
Aging Services of Minnesota
RTW, Inc. / State Auto, Inc.
More organizations are joining to show a unified, diverse, nursing voice.
What can I do to help support the NLC?
Contact your Legislator! Let them know that the NLC is an important issue. Ask for their support - and get a commitment from your ELECTED official!
How do I contact my Legislator?
If you do not know who your MN Representative or Senator are, please use the links below that will take you to the MN web site. On the right side menu,
there is a link for both House and Senate to find who represents you. If you already know, there are alphabetical lists with contact information.
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/
What is the protocol for contacting a Legislator?
Remember, your Legislators are people who have been elected by the people to represent their voice in MN Legislature. They live and work in the
community they represent. With that said, they have MANY issues that confront them, so your request should follow these 4 steps:
- Present a brief description of your issue.
Example: MN does not participate in the NLC, so MN nurses are limited to practice nursing only on MN patients unless further state licensure is obtained.
Employers pay licensure fees to other states rather than keeping the licensure revenue in MN. How does it affect YOU?
- Identify the pros & cons for the issues.
Example: MN Legislators need to pass the NLC bill into law. You may want to reference Senator Gerlach as the 2009 Chief Senate author.
- Identify support for the issue.
Example: Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing (MOLN), Minnesota Association of Occupational Health Nurses (MAOHN), Minnesota Association of Colleges in
Nursing (MACN)to name a couple.
- Identify opposition to your issue (if known).
Example: The Minnesota Nurses Organization has stated that they are opposed to the NLC. Unless you are a part of MNA, it is best left to the MNA to address
their position. "I am aware that the MNA has opposed the NLC in the past. You may want to contact them for further details."
TIPS:
- Call your Legislator. They always appreciate hearing from their constituents about issues. More than 2 people in a district who contact a legislator
about an issue is a BIG DEAL.
- Schedule a meeting with your legislator. Face to face meetings always mean more to the issue. Most legislators are available outside the Capitol offices, but
if you get the chance to visit the Capitol- it is a marvelous building with a rich history (added bonus to your visit).
Please contact your legislator if you support the NLC. This is a grass roots effort, and every voice of support counts. If your Senator is
committed to support, get them to co-author with Sen. Gerlach. If your Rep. is committed to support, get them to sponsor the companion bill.
Thank you for your attention in this very important issue. Please feel free to contact me with any questions
or concerns. I am more than happy to help you!
Judy Santiago RN
Solution Care Manager
RTW, Inc.
952-897-6152
800-789-2242 ext 6152
952-893-3700 Fax
judy.santiago@rtwi.com
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