Shaping the future of our healthcare system to ensure all Pennsylvanians have access to quality, affordable care is a challenge that will require each of us to hit the ground running. That’s why, on September 19th and 20th, approximately 700 members and guests gathered in Lancaster, PA for our biannual Leadership Assembly that followed our Nurse Alliance Fall Education Forum.
This year’s Assembly, themed “Shaping the Future: Quality Healthcare for All!” challenged us to think about what we as healthcare workers can do to improve the health and well-being of our patients, residents and communities. We learned about the inequities of our current healthcare system and envisioned what an ideal healthcare system that worked for everyone would look like in our communities.
Part of health and well-being is our responsibility we have one another to keep each other safe from harm. That’s why we spent time focusing on our role as healthcare leaders in curbing violence at home, at work, and in the community and listening to the experience of violence in our own lives.
At the same time we were marching to Congressman Joe Pitts to demand he stop holding America hostage through his 41 votes to defund Obamacare, anti-worker politicians in Washington, DC were voting to once again defeat the Affordable Care Act at any cost — even a complete shutdown of the government.
In the coming weeks ahead, we have a historic opportunity and responsibility to make sure Obamacare is fully implemented to the benefit of millions of Americans. Â Therefore, coming out of the assembly, we pledged to become Healthcare Champions and bring the message back to our patients, families, and communities that the ACA is here to stay!