The Nursing Voice - March 2018

The Nursing Voice March 2018 Page 9
The National Institutes of
Health Launches the All
of Us Research Program
Nationally, there are over 50,000 CRNAs that deliver
over 43 million anesthetics each year. CRNAs have
a long history of providing anesthesia for over 150
years. The Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetists
(IANA) began its history in 1939 with the philosophy
committed to fostering high educational standards and
practice in the art of Nurse Anesthesia. In Illinois, there
are currently over 1,500 Certified Registered Nurse
Anesthetists (CRNAs).
These CRNAs rise to the challenges of meeting the
anesthetic needs of patients. In Illinois, CRNAs are the
sole anesthetic provider in 29% of counties, but are
the principal practitioners in 89%. Furthermore, 31
counties have no registered anesthesia providers and
74% of those counties are encompassed by primarily
CRNA providers. Illinois’s CRNAs meet the needs
for access to quality and cost-effective anesthesia
services. They are the principal provider in rural areas
and allow healthcare facilities to provide obstetrical,
surgical, pain and trauma stabilization. Additionally,
CRNAs improve access to care for the underserved
population, military personnel and in Veteran Affair
facilities.
The 2017 legislative year proved to be a challenge
for Illinois’ CRNAs. HB 3382 would remove the
requirement from the state’s laws that a physician,
podiatrist or dentist “remain physically present and
be available on the premise during the delivery of
anesthesia.” This legislation would have given the
CRNAs in Illinois greater autonomy. The Illinois Society
of Anesthesiologists (ISA) introduced HB 2975 to
license anesthesiologist assistants. This legislation
would have added another group of practitioners in
the art of anesthesia. However, negotiations kept both
pieces of legislation in committee.
On a positive note, Senator Pamela Althoff received
the 2017 IANA Legislator of the Year Award. On
December 12, 2017, President Rose Slowikowski,
CRNA, DNP presented the award to Senator Althoff in
Chicago, Illinois. Senator Althoff is a strong advocate
of the nurse anesthesia profession and sponsored SB
1094. Her staunch support helped pass this crucial
piece of legislation in a short amount of time. SB 1094
extended the Grandfathering provision (July 1, 2018
to July 1, 2023) to currently licensed CRNAs without a
master’s degree and allowed their continued ability to
unrestricted practice.
On September 20, 2017, Maria struck the island of
Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane. The devastation
that ensued is well-known to the US. The IANA and
Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs) saw an
opportunity to support SRNAs at the three programs
Puerto Rico. Creation of a Go Fund Me page raised
over $1,200 to purchase much needed items, such as
reading lamps with battery backup, solar chargers for
electronic devices, and LifeStraw water bottles with
replacement filters.
As you can see, CRNAs are a critical part of the
evolving healthcare market for the great state of
Illinois. The IANA looks forward to a future that
ensures critical access to quality and cost-effective
while being part of the solution to the healthcare
crisis. More importantly, the IANA looks forward to
any collaboration that further promotes healthcare in
Illinois.
Precision medicine has been a buzzword in health care
circles for years now – but the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) is poised to launch a major new research effort that
will make it a reality. The All of Us Research Program seeks to
enroll one million or more participants who will share their
health information and begin a new era in medical research
and treatment
Two major goals set this NIH effort apart from typical
medical research. First, they aim to have 50 percent of
participants from racial and ethnic minority communities.
Second, they aim to have 75 percent of participants from
groups that have been historically underrepresented in
research. Achieving these goals will require significant effort
to build trust, overcome barriers, and work with participants
as true partners in research.
The All of Us Research Program is not one single health
study; it will be a database that researchers can use to run
thousands of health studies. The data collected can be used
by any researcher in the U.S. and around the world, as long
as they follow strict privacy and security rules. We hope
that researchers will use this data to achieve a wide range of
medical breakthroughs.
Health care providers have a critical role to play in this
effort. Based on our commitment to community outreach
in order to reduce health disparities within the Hispanic
population of the United States, NAHN-Illinois is excited
to help spread the word about this program and ensure
that our members are educated about its promise and
accomplishments over time.
“All of Us has the potential to redefine the future of
health in the United States,” said Liz Aquino and Wanda
Monterrubio from NAHN-Illinois. “We’re excited to work
with the NIH to ensure that this program brings together
communities throughout the United States to drive better
outcomes, earlier disease identification and precise
treatment solutions."
To learn more about the program, including what it means
to be a participant, please visit https://allofus.nih.gov/.
Nurses from the NAHN-Illinois Chapter, and across
the U.S. have eagerly volunteered to help the people
living in Puerto Rico who are faced with limited access
to clean water, food, electricity, and medical assistance
after Hurricane Maria. NAHN-Illinois collaborated with
Norwegian American Hospital, New Life Church, and
Angels of the Kind to send two teams of volunteer
nurses, doctors, and other health care providers with
medications and medical supplies to Puerto Rico. They
were able to care for people living in various parts of
the island and saw over 400 patients. We are planning
to continue to send more nurses over the next several
months to assist with the much-needed medical relief.
NAHN-Illinois Immediate Past-President, Susana
Gonzalez, shared this about her experience after
participating in the medical mission:
We believed we were a small but mighty medical
mission team destined to give services to where
Puerto Rico Hurricane
Medical Relief Efforts
God’s people needed us. We returned a strong
family transformed by our phenomenal experiences
together. We got up at dawn and worked as a
team that collaborated, supported, comforted,
and healed many residents who needed services
for hours every day. We touched hundreds of lives.
We made a difference. We returned changed
individuals and a strong family for life. Puerto Rico
has left an imprint in our hearts we take to eternity.
A special thank you to the NAHN nurses who
volunteered their time, skills, and healing hands to assist
with the medical missions: Jenifer Crespo, Raquel Diaz,
Susana Gonzalez, Nitza de Pedro, Juana Quinones, Paulina
Zapata, and Liz Zimnie. For more details or to provide a
donation to support the medical mission please go to
www.nahnillinois.org/puerto-rico-hurricane-relief.html.