From the NLN a Call to Your Representatives RE: Title VIII Funding

I’m forwarding along an email I received from the National League for Nursing. This is a very important issue to all nurses as educating new nurses is vital to reducing the shortage of nurses….

“Dear Colleague” Letter on Title VIII Funding Circulating in House — Signatures Needed by Tuesday, March 31, 2009

TO: ALL NURSES

Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter seeking support of their fellow Representatives to fund Title VIII – Nursing Workforce Development Programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at a level of $215 million for FY 2010. They need to get as many of their House colleagues as possible to sign this letter by Tuesday, March 31, 2009. To see a copy of the letter, click here.

The Title VIII programs have been a proven solution to past nursing shortages when provided with adequate funding. These programs support the education of RNs, APRNs, nurse faculty, and nurse researchers. Over the last three years, relatively flat Title VIII funding, combined with rising educational and administrative costs, as well as inflation, has significantly decreased the programs’ purchasing power. In FY 2006, the programs supported 91,189 nurses and nursing students. In FY 2007 and 2008, the number of grantees supported dropped by 21% and 28% respectively.

The continuing shortages of RNs and nurse educators pose real challenges to our current health care system and, in the longer term, to potential health care reform plans. Fortunately, the Title VIII programs are structured to address the educational, retention, and recruitment needs of the nursing workforce, but the programs cannot meet this need without additional funding.

ACTION REQUIRED:
Call, fax, or e-mail your Representative and urge him/her to sign onto the Capps-LoBiondo letter to support funding for Title VIII – Nursing Workforce Development Programs at a level of $215 Million for FY 2010.

Click here to go directly to the NLN Government Affairs Action Center where you can find the telephone or fax number for your Representative. Include your Representative’s Health LA (Legislative Assistant) in any message that you send. That person is listed under the “Staff” tab that appears on your Representative’s homepage. Let them know that they should contact Amy Fisher in Representative Capps’ (202-225-3601) or Dana Richter in Representative LoBiondo’s office (202-225-6572) to sign onto the “Dear Colleague” by the deadline of March 31, 2009.

Please do not delay!

Make that call or send that fax or e-mail now!

Kathleen A. Ream
Director, Government Affairs
National League for Nursing
Phone: 703-241-3947
Fax: 703-534-9036
E-mail: kream@nln.org