Since PHMC affiliate National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC) first began in 1998, policy and advocacy on behalf of nurse-managed health care centers have been essential parts of its agenda. The organization has positively influenced several policies and legislation affecting such centers, as well as accessiblility to affordable, quality primary healthcare. “Most policy change is small and incremental,” says Tine Hansen-Turton, NNCC’s executive director and vice president of Health Care Access and Policy at PHMC, “but we really made a significant impact on the nurse practitioner profession.” NNCC was most recently successful in helping pass legislation in Pennsylvania that recognizes nurse-managed clinics as primary health care centers and gives nurse practitioners the authority to prescribe drugs to their patients, among other achievements.

NNCC engages in this work both regionally and nationally. Currently, NNCC is working on legislation that would provide new sources of funding to nurse-managed health care centers. “We work with Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania to make sure nurse-managed health centers are recognized and included in new legislation,” says Ann Ritter, NNCC’s policy and program strategist. “Many nurse-managed health care centers can’t get funding–this bill would help them access those funds.” NNCC is working on a similar bill introduced in the U.S. Senate that would help nurse-managed health centers to access funds. “Lack of funding causes access points in communities all over the nation to shut down–we’re trying to make sure that doesn’t happen,” says Ritter.

Affiliation with PHMC is an integral aspect of NNCC’s policy and advocacy work. “You need partners to make it happen,” says Hansen-Turton. “It’s great to build on the knowledge and experience base of the PHMC nurse-managed health care centers’ directors to inform NNCC’s policy and advocacy strategies,” adds Ritter.