Emergency Nurses Association Advocates for Mental Health and Trauma Care
More than 115 nurses to meet with congressional leaders to support patient-centered legislation
The Emergency Nurses Association is on Capitol Hill this week advocating for legislation that directly impacts emergency nursing. More than 115 ENA members from across the U.S. are in Washington, DC, urging Congress to support comprehensive reforms to our nation’s mental health system and legislation to reauthorize trauma and emergency care programs. April 29 is the association’s annual Day on the Hill event.
“Given the lack of other treatment options, patients with mental illness in crisis have nowhere to turn except emergency departments for care,” said ENA president Matthew F. Powers, MS, BSN, RN, MICP, CEN. “These patients often have to wait many hours or even days before an inpatient bed becomes available. Likewise, care for those with traumatic injuries is not always close by. Just in the past decade, 21 trauma centers have closed, further cutting off patients from lifesaving treatment. The legislation and funding we’re supporting this week will provide more treatment options, save lives, and help to improve wait times and service in emergency departments.”
ENA members will urge representatives to support comprehensive mental health reform legislation that is expected to be introduced soon in both the House and Senate. The bills will improve the nation’s broken mental health system by focusing programs and resources on psychiatric care for patients and families most in need. It will help ensure funding is made available to conduct vitally needed research and for additional inpatient and outpatient treatment beds. Finally, the bill will help many individuals before they reach a crisis and require emergency care.
On trauma care, ENA members will ask senators to support legislation that was recently passed in the House and will be introduced shortly in the Senate. The legislation will reauthorize programs that support trauma centers, state trauma systems and regionalized emergency care. Both representatives and senators will also be urged to support $28 million for trauma and emergency care programs in fiscal year 2016. The funding would provide much-needed support both to states to enhance their trauma systems and to trauma centers to prevent more closures and ensure better access to trauma care for all Americans.
Media Contact:
Marie Grimaldi
Communications & PR Manager, ENA
847.460.4080
mgrimaldi@ena.org
About the Emergency Nurses Association
The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 40,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.
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