FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2001
CONTACT:
Cindy Price, 202-651-7038
Joan Meehan-Hurwitz,, 202-651-7020
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ANA Cheers U.S. House of Representatives for Passage of VA Health Care Programs Enhancement Act
Washington, DC --The American Nurses Association applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for its passage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 (H.R. 3447), a bill that addresses many of the staffing-related concerns of Veterans Affairs (VA) nurses, the largest nurse workforce in the world.
ANA President Mary E. Foley, MS, RN, noted that ANA is particularly supportive of provisions in the bill aimed at expanding and making permanent the VA Employment Incentive Scholarship Program and the Debt Reduction Program. "These two programs will help alleviate a growing shortage of VA nurses by attracting more nurses to the profession and easing the substantial financial burden of pursuing additional education in nursing," she said.
Foley said ANA also applauds a bill provision that elevates the office of Nurse Consultant to the director level, to "reflect the important role that VA nurses play in providing high-quality nursing services to our nation's veterans."
In addition, ANA supports a bill provision that addresses VA facility staffing levels to ensure quality of care and also aims to study the use of mandatory overtime in VA facilities. "We look forward to working with Congress and the VA to assure that a new national policy on staffing standards includes input from staff nurses," Foley said. "Furthermore, as more information on the use of mandatory overtime becomes available, we would welcome the opportunity to develop and implement programs designed to eliminate its use."
Other encouraging bill provisions include a resolution of technical difficulties with Saturday premium pay, part-time service, and sick time calculations in retirement determinations. "And the important changes to the locality pay system will now allow VA health centers to make realistic comparisons with area wages," Foley said.
"ANA commends the hard work of the House committee members on these issues, and we look forward to working with members of the Senate and the VA on the bill as it moves forward," she added.
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The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.7 million Registered Nurses through its constituent member nurses associations. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
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