January 12, 2005

The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, Southwest
Washington, DC 20201

Dear Secretary Thompson:

As the president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), I am joining with the Center for Nursing Advocacy, individual nurses and others in requesting that you change the name of the Department of Health and Human Service's "Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day" campaign to one that would not exclude Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) including Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives, Nurse Psychotherapists and Clinical Nurse Specialists.

Perhaps changing the campaign slogan to "Take a Loved One for a Health Check-Up Day" or a similar catchy phrase will solve the dilemma. A modest change such as this one would ensure that the campaign's name adequately reflects that it includes nurses - as is evidenced in your September 2004 campaign kickoff press release, which urged the public to make appointments with physicians or "other health professionals."

In addition, such a change would enhance the campaign's effect on the minority populations the campaign targets, which are served in significant part by APRNs. As you know, the campaign is intended primarily to reduce health disparities affecting ethnic and racial minorities. Often, in the communities of these minorities, APRNs primary health care is one of the only, or even the only, practical option for many residents. The nation's 100,000-plus APRNs provide high-quality, cost-effective primary care to adults and children. Research confirms that APRN care is at least as good as that of physicians. And the holistic, community-oriented approach of APRNs is an excellent fit for the target populations of this campaign.

The recommended change would also serve to ease the nursing shortage, which is threatening lives nationwide and could be a major problem in the nation's response to any significant mass-casualty event. One key factor in the shortage is the low level of public understanding of the real contributions of nurses. Today's nurses - though still subject to regressive stereotypes in most popular media - are highly skilled, life-saving professionals who are changing the future of health care through groundbreaking research and clinical innovation. Prominent recognition of the contributions of APRNs through a major public campaign like this one would remind the public that nurses are a vital part of the nation's health care team.

As I understand it, HHS officials have indicated that the department is open to possibly making a change in the campaign's name. So, please let me know if I can be of any further assistance in publicizing this modest proposed change as well as in promoting the campaign itself, which promises to make a big difference for nurses, their patients, and the nation as a whole. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Barbara A. Blakeney, MS, RN
President

CC: Tom Joyner, Radio Announcer and Honorary Campaign Chair
Garth Graham, MD, MPH, Director, Office of Minority Health
Tuei Doong, Deputy Director
Mirtha Beadle, Acting Deputy Director
Teresa Chapa, PhD, MPA, Director, Division of Policy and Data
Cynthia Amis, Director, Division of Program Operations
Blake Crawford, Director Division of Information and Education