Florida Nurse Practitioner Network Joins other Stakeholders Participating in Discussions on the Future of Florida’s Health Care System Highlights 2014 Florida Health Care Affordability Summit
Posted about 10 years ago by Regina Pommer
FNPN board members joined key health care industry leaders, innovators and legislators at the 2014 Florida Health Care Affordability Summit at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla. on Wednesday, January 29, 2014, through Friday, January 31, 2014. The Summit, hosted by the Foundation of Associated Industries of Florida (FAIF), holds a series of panel discussions that brought together some of the most instrumental decision makers and forward-thinking business and industry leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities to guide the future of Florida's health care system. FNPN is a member of the Associated Industries of Florida who is known as the "Voice of Business" throughout Florida.
Gail Sadler, AANP FL State Representative, Doreen Cassarino, President FNPN, Jean Aertker, Legislative VP FNPN and AANP Region 11 Director
Topics discussed ranged from new technologies that will deliver quality care and patient monitoring to a patient's home, to workplace incentives that can promote healthier lifestyles and a healthier workforce. Included in the 3 day panels were business leaders, insurance representations, advanced practice nurses, physicians and lawmakers who discussed the many tools within our health care delivery system that can be used to make health care accessible and affordable for Floridians. Dr. Taynin Koponos, AANP Vice President State Health Policy was invited to serve on the panel lead by Representative Jose Oliva, chair of the House Select Committee on Health Care Workforce Innovation. This panel addressed "Meeting the Workforce demands of providing health care to all Floridians. Tay did an outstanding job of presenting the current research data, trends and rationale to remove all barriers to APRN practice.
The Summit opening keynote speaker and Health Policy Analyst Paul Keckley, Ph.D., provided a comprehensive and critical look into the current state of our national health care landscape and what possible solutions Florida lawmakers and providers can implement to lower costs and insure more and more Floridians. APRN's were included in his list of solutions.
There were several panels on Thursday engaging in discussions to address the tools of technology for health care access (moderated by Representative Jason Brodeur), medical innovation (moderated by Senator Anitere Flores), employer innovations (moderated by Representative Matt Hudson), health care workforce innovations (moderated by Representative Jose Oliva), and expectations for health care coverage (moderated by Senator Aaron Bean). Nancy M. Green, managing principal for Verizon Healthcare, also spoke on trends and challenges for use of new healthcare technologies.
Representative Jose Oliva, Chair Select Committee on Health Care Workforce Innovation And Doreen Cassarino, Florida Nurse Practitioner Network
While moderating the employer innovations panel, Representative Matt Hudson from Naples stated, "49 other states can't be wrong" regarding nurse practitioner practice and the need to remove restrictive regulatory limitations in Florida.
Representative Matt Hudson, Chair Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee
Tay Kaponas, AANP Vice President for State Health Policy, was an outstanding participant representation nurse practitioner on the Health Care Workforce Innovations Panel during which she noted that, "We are at a disconnect between clinical care and state licensure laws, especially here in Florida." Representative Cary Pigman, Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Health Care Workforce Innovation and a practicing emergency room physician stated regarding utilizing nurse practitioners to their full education "Shame on us..we can do so much better!" He also stated on the topic of supervision, I'll be blunt with you, we do it in the ER because we can charge more for care."
Doreen Cassarino, President FNPN, Gail Sadler, AANP FL State Representative, Tay Kaponas, AANP Vice President for State Health Policy, Jean Aertker, Legislative VP FNPN and AANP Region 11 Director
Concluding Thursday's events was a reception featuring keynote speaker Adam Putnam, Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who spoke on the importance of utilizing fresh Florida produce to mobilize schools to invest in the nutrition and wellbeing of our children.
On Friday, January 31, 2014, attendees heard from keynote speaker Dr. John H. Armstrong, Florida's Surgeon General and Secretary of Health, who spoke on the importance of maintaining a healthier weight and changing our environments both in the workplace and at home to promote and wellness. Friday's panelists then engaged in a discussion to address the high cost of poor health in Florida (moderated by Senator Joe Negron). Closing the Summit was keynote speaker David Chenoweth, Ph.D., president of Chenoweth & Associates, Inc., who focused on preventative measures for our children and the importance of mitigating risk factors that compromise health, such as child obesity and diabetes.
Overall the mood was very positive regarding all advanced practice nurses and bringing fresh new ideas to the forefront. But we realize there will be heavy resistance and pushback on any legislation going forward that changes the status quo. Therefore we need your help now. It is imperative that each and every ARNP in Florida to stop and call, visit, write your Florida Senator now. The Senate will hold the cards in this decision. Tell them that the time is now to stop and fix the outdated laws put into place over 40 years ago. If Florida is to succeed, they need us, and we need the legislature to help us now. Let us know what position your Senator has on this issue. You are key to making this happen. Do not let our positive momentum die off, you are the engine that will get us to the finish line. We are here to help and support you, just let us know what you need to make your Senator visit before March 1st.
Representative Matt Hudson, Chair Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, Doreen Cassarino, President FNPN, Representative Cary Pigman, Vice Chair Select Committee on Health Care Workforce Innovation