Nurse Practitioners Urge President Trump, Congress to Reconsider Cuts to Health Care Workforce Training

By Jason Owen

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In response to President Trump’s FY 2018 budget proposal, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) released the following statement urging the president, Secretary Price and members of Congress to reconsider cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which would undermine critical health care provider training programs that expand patient access to high-quality, affordable health care.

“While we are encouraged by the President’s acknowledgement of the need to strengthen substance abuse treatment and funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, we believe the proposed cuts of 20 percent to the US Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health will undermine patient care by gutting vital training programs that strengthen the health care workforce,” said AANP President Cindy Cooke, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP. “As this budget process progresses, we implore all committees of jurisdiction and members of Congress to reject these unnecessary and harmful cuts and instead work towards a budget that empowers nurse practitioners and other health professionals to meet the needs of patients across the nation.”

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 222,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP membership includes more than 74,000 individual members and 200 organizations. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NP patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate a nurse practitioner in your community, go to npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org.