ALERT - Action Needed to Restore FCN Funding

Dear Colleagues,

As you may recall, the Florida Center for Nursing received state funds for the current fiscal year (2015-2016) by the insertion of targeted funding in the University of Central Florida budget during the 2015 legislative session.  This act restored the FCN's funding level from 2009/10 of $450,000 as a recurring line item in UCF's budget.  Unfortunately, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education removed the FCN funding from their budget – zeroed the line item.  Fortunately, the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee retained the FCN funding in their budget. So, the discrepancy between the budgets will need to be resolved when the two chambers' conference (beginning in mid-February).

The reason the education committees are relevant to the FCN funding is by virtue of its placement in the university's budget.  This placement in 2015 was a very good thing for the FCN as UCF has been a fantastic host for us which maximized our effectiveness even in the lean years.  But it removes the issue from the health appropriations committees where we directed our attention in prior years.

Now we need your help and support! Please send supportive messages asking that the Center for Nursing's $450,000 in recurring funding be restored in the University of Central Florida's budget.  We must influence key elected officials as well as your own individual senator and representative.  We need each of you to write to or meet with Senator Don Gaetz, Senator Tom Lee, Senator David Simmons, Senator Denise Grimsley, Representative Jason Brodeur, Representative Erik Fresen, and Representative Richard Corcoran as soon as possible.  A complete list of committee members is shown on the attached file with the critical official's listings hyperlinked to their home pages where you will find their contact information.

Below are some suggested talking points in support of funding for the FCN. Perhaps even more significant, please share stories about how the data and information are used and would be missed if discontinued.

Here's why you should restore the Florida Center for Nursing's recurring funding in the amount of $450,000 to the University of Central Florida's budget:

As nurses represent the largest proportion of the healthcare workforce and are the largest single contributors to hospital staffing, the Florida Center for Nursing data on the workforce support objective approaches to influence hospitals, educational institutions, and assisted living facilities policies and practices. The Florida Center for Nursing is a vital asset for the state as we provide data and grant funding designed to inform solutions to Florida's nursing workforce shortage.The nursing supply and demand data produced by the Florida Center for Nursing is the singular source in Florida that contains a representative sample of the healthcare workforce and its projected needs.The accurate and complete data sets on the healthcare workforce that the Florida Center for Nursing provides enable the legislature to make informed decisions about meeting the needs of the populations they were elected to serve.The Florida Center for Nursing provides the information that policymakers need in order to ensure Floridians have an available nurse workforce.

As always, I am available to answer questions or provide additional information.  On behalf of the FCN Board of Directors and staff, thank you for all that you do in support of the nurses in our state.

Mary Lou Brunell, MSN, RN

Executive Director

407-823-0981