Chicago, Ill. –Nurses from Advocate Trinity Hospital traveled to the State Capitol in Springfield on May 1 to talk to legislators about issues affecting health care and the nursing profession.
The Southeast Side nurses called upon legislators representing communities served by Advocate Trinity Hospital as part of Advocate Health Care’s annual Nurse Advocacy Day. During their visit, the group met with Illinois House Leader William Davis, Rep. Marcus Evans (3rd District) and Rep. Thaddaeus Jones (29th District). Also, several legislators hosted office visits with the nurses including Senator Napoleon Harris (15th District), Sen. Robert Peters (13th District) and Rep. Kambium Buckner,
“Every year, Advocate Trinity nurses participate in Advocate Health Care’s Nurse Advocacy Day because the perspectives we have, as community hospital nurses offer valuable insights into patient care,” says Chief Nurse Executive Jacquelyn Whitten. “We see ourselves as partners and sources of information to help our legislators stay informed about health care.”
In addition to Dr. Whitten, Advocate Trinity’s Nurse Advocacy Council President Cindy Malone and direct care nurses Linda Ameyaw, Heidi Bugala, Flordeliza Gamiao, Martha Lulinski and Jalesa Wallace joined nearly
90 direct care nurses from across the Advocate system in Springfield. Collectively, this group met with dozens of state legislators, including Senate President John Cullerton, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin.
“We went to Springfield to continue the work we do inside the walls of our hospital,” Whitten adds. “As nurses, our mission is to help people live well, and speaking with our legislators about the state of health care and how real patients are impacted is an important way we do this.”
Participating nurses talked with legislators about the need to pass a robust Medicaid budget by the May 31 legislative deadline and the need to prioritize access to care issues facing the legislature. The aim of the nurses was to amplify the voices of bedside nurses, ensuring that legislators hear from people who care for patients every day.
Nurse Advocacy Day is hosted by Advocate’s Nurse Advocacy Council (NAC), a self-governed council composed of frontline nurses that works to educate and empower the largest nursing audience in Illinois: Advocate's more than 11,000 professional nurses. Advocate is the only known health care provider in the state to provide frontline nurses with this opportunity, thus giving them a stronger voice on legislative issues in Springfield and Washington D.C.
This is the group’s 14th year going to Springfield.
About Advocate Trinity Hospital
Advocate Trinity Hospital, a designated Primary Stroke Center, has provided high-quality, compassionate care to the residents of Chicago’s Southeast Side for more than 120 years. Our board-certified physicians have expertise in more than 50 subspecialties, including advanced heart attack and stroke care, advanced levels of treatment in surgery, and a limb salvage program that serves as a model for other health care providers. Our Emergency Department team care model and triage delivery system minimize wait time and enhance care coordination, while our multi-disciplinary approach to in-patient care optimizes discharge planning and bedside engagement between providers, patients and family members. Advocate Trinity is part of Advocate Aurora Health, the 10th largest not-for-profit, integrated health system in the United States. We help people live well.