Reflecting upon the emotional and physical trauma impacting health care providers of all disciplines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of the projections of early retirement, the Surgeon General’s report on clinician burnout, and prolonged waiting times for accessing needed care, I would hope that collectively we would appreciate that even these unprecedented challenges come unique opportunities. For far too long, our nation’s health care system has provided insufficient priority to the importance of preventive and wellness-oriented care; not to mention the clinical and economic benefits of integrated care. With advanced clinical training and increasing scientific knowledge, each of the disciplines should be encouraged to practice to the fullest extent of their education, training and clinical skills, as visionary reports from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) have recommended. In 2020, economist Jeffrey Bauer estimated that by fully empowering non-physician providers our nation’s health care costs could be reduced by 32%, which would result in an annual savings of $155 billion, without any loss of quality care.
Colleagues who decided to enter the health care field represent the nation’s educated elite and with that status comes, as we are aware, significant income, comfortable housing, professional mobility and food stability. Also comes the societal responsibility to appropriately modify our current health care system so that it serves all Americans in a timely fashion. In doing so, we should actively engage the next generation of leaders to collaboratively participate with us in this all important political/public policy process. Mentorship is absolutely critical for long-term success.
One of the unique aspects of serving on Capitol Hill is the opportunity to listen to the pressing issues and experiences through the lens of a wide range of concerned citizens and especially from those most personally impacted. It has been my experience that one of the most effective organizations of behalf of the public good has consistently been AARP, with its nearly 38 million members. AARP was founded in 1958 by a retired school teacher, Ethel Percy Andrus, with the goal of helping older Americans remain physically and intellectually active by serving others. One of its major priorities is serving as a legislative advocate for the elderly at the federal and state levels, especially working to influence the passage of legislation that affects older citizens. At the national level, they have been extraordinarily effective on behalf of professional nursing, running the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action in partnership with the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This campaign was created and continues its efforts to implement the recommendations of the Future of Nursing reports out of the IOM and the NAM. In Hawaii, Ray Folen reports that AARP had been most helpful with HPA’s efforts to enact comprehensive telehealth legislation, following up on the positive experiences of many of his members serving the underserved and disabled during the pandemic.
The extraordinarily sad mass shootings – Uvalde, Buffalo, Sandy Hook – have brought the need for increased mental health/behavioral health funding graphically to the public’s attention. Ready access and adequate reimbursement for telehealth, supervised clinical trainees and interns and licensure mobility must be a priority. Alex Siegel, Director of Professional Affairs, ASPPB, reports that the Psychological Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) continues to add new jurisdictions. Currently, there are 28 jurisdictions which have adopted and are currently part of the PSYPACT Commission and there are five other states which have enacted PSYPACT (but their laws are not yet effective), thus bringing the number up to 33 of the 55 ASPPB jurisdictions which have now passed legislation adopting the psychology compact. “Where are the other states?,” one might reasonably ask. “And the big fool says to push on!” (Waist deep in the Big Muddy. Pete Seeger).