AANP Congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris
Nurse Practitioners Welcome Biden Administration and 117th Congress
Austin, Texas — The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) congratulates President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and pledges its continued support to help end the COVID-19 pandemic and expand access to high-quality health care.
“On behalf of the more than 290,000 licensed nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States today, AANP welcomes President Biden and Vice President Harris, as well as members of the 117th Congress,” said Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, president of AANP. “We stand ready to work with Congress and the Administration by sharing our knowledge and dedication to help address the important health care issues impacting our country, including encouraging patients to be vaccinated against COVID-19, treating the hundreds of thousands battling the disease, strengthening health care access and ending health disparities.”
Working tirelessly on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine distribution, NPs continue to advocate for the removal of outdated practice barriers so patients can have direct access to the health care provider of their choice. NPs have and will continue to advocate for changes needed to combat systemic health disparities — a crisis that has become especially acute during the pandemic. Further, the profession will continue to urge Congress and the new Administration to retire barriers in the Medicare program that limit seniors’ ability to obtain health care from their preferred provider.
“We believe that regardless of race, gender, age or geographic location, patients should have full access to comprehensive, high-quality health care — care that NPs provide in more than 1 billion patient visits each year,” said Thomas. “AANP looks forward to working with the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress to strengthen the health of our communities and tackle the health care challenges facing our nation today.”
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The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 290,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.org. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org and WeChooseNPs.org. For COVID-19 information from AANP, visit aanp.org/COVID19.