Nurses deserve recognition

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill

Dear Phil,

Nurses are nothing short of heroes, and our country is facing a crisis as fewer men and women pursue these careers.

Yet, current federal rules force Missouri’s nursing education programs to choose between funding and accreditation — how can they do that when they clearly need both?

I believe in making higher education more accessible, and one way to do that is through the Making Education of Nurses Dependable for Schools Act.

This bill aims to strengthen nursing education by resolving the serious differences between conflicting requirements for nursing schools.

Right now, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require hospital-based nursing education programs to be a part of a hospital in order to receive Medicare “pass-through” support payments — at the same time, the Higher Learning Commission mandates that hospital-based programs must become separately incorporated from hospitals in order to retain accreditation.

As a result of these clashing regulations, hospital-based nursing programs are forced to choose between Medicare funding and accreditation.

That’s why it’s so important we straighten out the kinks in these confusing, conflicting policies, and this legislation can help do just that.

I feel strongly about this bill, because I know, firsthand, Missouri is full of excellent, highly-skilled nurses — nurses who are making a difference across the state and who deserve recognition.

Do you know a nurse in your life who’s gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, I’d love to hear from you.

Send me an email telling me about why the nurse you chose deserves our thanks for their hard work.

In the coming weeks, I’ll highlight their stories on my Facebook page.

I’m looking forward to reading your emails and sharing with others why nurses truly are heroes among us.

All the best,

Sen. Claire McCaskill

D-Missouri