October 2025

Advocacy & Engagement

NCC Sends Letter to Department of Education on Implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill

On October 31, fifty-seven members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a letter to the U.S. Department of Education, urging the Department’s Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Committee to explicitly include post-baccalaureate nursing programs in the regulatory definition of “professional degree programs” when implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Events & Meetings

• The Nursing Community Coalition held a hybrid monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

Federal Funding Opportunities: Apply Today

• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA):
  • National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program: This program provides loan repayment funds to students who are in their final year of study in various health professions, including Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives. Apply by November 6, 2025 at 7:30 pm (ET).

NCC Connections

• The American Public Health Association (APHA) is holding its Annual Meeting from November 2-5, 2025, in Washington, DC. For more information and to register, click here.
• The Friends of the National Institute of Research (FNINR) is accepting applications for its Ambassador program. To learn more and apply by November 3, 2025, click here. 

In Case You Missed It…

• On October 1, the federal government entered a shutdown after Congress failed to finalize Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations by the September 30 deadline. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expects to furlough roughly 40% of staff during the shutdown, and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will similarly continue to function at a reduced capacity as 47% of HRSA staff will be furloughed.
• On October 10, a Department of Justice filing alleged that the Administration laid off nearly 1,200 HHS employees and about 466 Department of Education employees. The NCC continues to monitor the the shutdown and any impact it may have on federal nursing programs. 
• On October 20, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and sent 27 other Senate Democrats sent a letter to HHS expressing deep concerns about the Department’s reductions in force carried out during the government shutdown. To read the letter, click here.

Post of the Month

NCC recognizes and honors Emergency Nurses Day. Thank you #EmergencyNurses – we are grateful for the work that you do every day! #ENDay #ENWeek

HPASC Purpose and Objectives

To promote awareness within the DNA of issues and concerns in the area of Health Policy and Advocacy that assists DNA and it’s members to achieve their strategic goal of effectively advocating for members, patients, and the general public by:

1. Increasing membership involvement and understanding in health policy and advocacy efforts.
2. Acting as a resource for information on issues related to health policy and advocacy.
3. Working with members to investigate, consider, report, and act on advocacy issues commensurate with DNA’s Strategic plan.
4. Facilitating membership awareness, discussions, and activities.

HPASC Projects

• Support nursing within the Nursing Community
• Support cancer research, prevention, and education with One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC)
• Support State  Legislation to  prohibit tanning bed use by Children with The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network ACS CAN
• Support The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association SUNucate

Health Policy Advocacy Scanning Council

Elizabeth Jonas, LNP -Co-Chair
Karrie Fairbrother, BSN, CDE, DNC
Maura Flynn, MPP, RN, DNC
Krismarie Marrero, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Gayle Peterson, RN-BC

HPASC Official Advocacy Toolkit

Advocacy is hard to describe because it’s so very personal. That is because advocacy just means your voice. Whether a local school board or your states senator in D.C., you are the voice that can affect change but if you remain silent, your voice will not be counted for.

The DNA wanted to create a toolkit for all dermatology healthcare providers to be able to affect change where they see fit. We encourage you to look for small wins, these realistic achievements snowball into bigger wins through collaboration and visibility.

We encourage you to find a way to start down a path for change today. Learn about the political process, send an email to a representative, download a calendar of events, volunteer for a committee, join a patient advocacy group. Together, we will have our voices and our patient’s voices heard.

DCAN’s Advocacy Toolkit – DCAN is excited to release its new advocacy toolkit. It’s an extensive guide on how patients and clinicians can overcome payer resistance.