Nursing Student Reacts to Conversation with the President
Jun 30, 2009
On June 24, 2009, President Obama and ABC News hosted a White House forum on health care reform. University of Maryland School of Nursing student Hershaw Davis spoke to the President about the shortage of primary care providers and the impact on emergency departments. Davis was a featured speaker at the launch of CCNA’s Champion Nursing Coalition. During last week’s forum, he asked the President what he was "going to do to place primary care providers -- physicians and nurse practitioners -- back in the community so the E.R. is not America's source of primary care." The President called for more incentives to attract future providers into primary care medicine. Following the White House forum, CCNA asked Davis to share his thoughts.
I was humbled by the opportunity to address the President on the important issue of addressing the gap in primary care access in our health care system.
I agreed with the President's comments about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act invests "$338 million to expand services offered by Community Health Centers and enable them to serve more patients, as more Americans join the ranks of the uninsured."
I also agreed with the President's comments on educational loan forgiveness and equality in reimbursements for primary care providers because these two issues are critical to closing the primary care gap.
Had I had more time for discussion with the President, I would have asked him to discuss more specifics as to how the administration will close the gap in access, particularly in areas that are primary care deserts, the inner city and rural America. I would also ask him about the role nursing can play in expanding access to primary care. Perhaps this is an opportunity to examine private/public partnerships. An example of this is the Healthy Howard Plan in Howard County, MD that uses interdisciplinary teams, including nurses, physicians and other providers, to close the health care access gap. It also includes health lifestyle incentives for accountability by the participants, which is essential to keeping costs low and, more importantly, bringing education and prevention into our solution process.
I am again humbled to have been given the opportunity to speak on behalf of those who are a part of the primary care access gap. It is my sincere hope that my question added to the conversation about national health care reform.
Respectfully,
Hershaw Davis, Jr.
President, Maryland Association of Nursing Students
Comments
Mr. Davis -
I am grateful for your opportunity to meet and speak with the President about healthcare reform. I fear we have some dark days ahead as we try to find solutions to our problems with the health care system. I commend you on your community health focus. As an adjunct faculty for community health, I found that most people recognize the access issues in our inner cities, however, few speak of healthcare accessibility in rural America. That doesn't seem to get much press time. I agree that much needs to be done in the community to keep people healthy and out of our ERs and our hospitals. The ER is not the place to maintain health nor to address minor health issues. And, as you know, health and wellness education received from the primary goes much farther in keeping people out of the hospital - thus saving millions in costs. I am also interested in the Healthly Howard Plan. Could you please tell me more information about that program? Thank you for your thoughtful discussion and championing the community health role of physicians and nurses.
Ma'am/Sir,
Here is the info on the Healthy Howard Plan.
http://www.healthyhowardplan.org/
My plan is to study and research healthcare disparities in primary care deserts such as rural and inner city america in graduate school.
I look forward to working with you one day as we continue keeping primary care access at the forefront of our national healthcare discussion.
If you any additional questions, please feel free to email me at manspresident@gmail.com.
Thank you for your being apart of the national discussion on healthcare reform.
Respectfully,
Hershaw Davis, Jr.
President
Maryland Association of Nursing Students
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