Posted 10/26/06

It was a busy week for new ISAPN President Peter Kale, ANP/CNP last week, culminating in a press conference in Chicago announcing the support of ISAPN-PAC and INA for the Governor’s reelection bid.

Mr. Kale said “For decades all of us have heard about the problems of access and coverage for healthcare in Illinois. Governor Blagojevich and his administration didn’t just talk about it – they developed and implemented solutions! The All Kids and Access to Reproductive Care programs are helping women and children all over Illinois.

To help solve the shortage of health care providers, the Governor has created scholarships and education opportunities for nursing. Creation of the Institute for Nursing will work on creative solutions to the shortage for years to come. Declaring equitable reimbursement to advanced practice nurses for Medicaid services improves options for theses patients when choosing providers.  I was at the state meeting of ISAPN yesterday and asked for a show of hands of who are treating Medicaid patients, and almost 100% of those present were doing so, meeting the healthcare needs of this population.

Whether it is a health care facility next to an El stop in Logan Square or next to a soybean field in Mattoon, patient care is improving due to the initiatives of our Governor. Therefore I am proud to announce that the political action committee of the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing is endorsing Rod Blagojevich for re-election as governor of the state of Illinois.”

Posted 10/23/06

• ISAPN member Bridget Cahill, CNP, Chicago, attended the Governor’s Patient Safety Summit in October.  The Stakeholders at the event advised the Department of Public Health about implementation of Executive Order #8 (creating the Division of Public Safety within IDPH). 
  
  
• ISAPN member Kathleen Ludwikowski, CNP, Marango, has been selected as the APN representative to the DHFS Steering Committee for the All Kids program.  This committee will be the oversight group to implement All Kids. 
  
• ISAPN President Gail Van Kanegan, CNP, Quincy, had an article on depression and anxiety was published in ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners this month.  Van Kanegan has taken a position at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.