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The Case of the CIA-Combatting Combination

Clinical practice

The Case of the CIA-Combatting Combination

Career Changes Are Challenging, but Hold On to Hope

nursing professional development

Career Changes Are Challenging, but Hold On to Hope

Mentors Changed My Career at Every Stage, From New Grad to Leader

nursing professional development

Mentors Changed My Career at Every Stage, From New Grad to Leader

The COVID-19 Pandemic Fast-Tracked Our Growth as Nurses

The COVID-19 Pandemic Fast-Tracked Our Growth as Nurses

When Everything Still Isn't Enough

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When Everything Still Isn't Enough

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HHS Launches Network of Leaders and Organizations to Encourage COVID-19 Vaccinations

As of July 2021, more than 159 million individuals in the United States have been fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 coronavirus, totaling about 48.1% of the U.S. population. However, approximately 173 million others have not, or suggested they will not, receive the vaccination. President Biden’s goal of having 70% of Americans receive at least one vaccine dose and 160 million adults to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4, 2021, fell short.

National Cancer Act Turns 50

Fifty years ago, President Richard Nixon delivered his third State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress, boldly outlining audacious goals with major federal funding attached. Seeking $100 million for what he deemed “the war on cancer,” Nixon pledged his commitment to invest federal resources in the fight against cancer.

Patient advocacy

Biden-Harris Administration’s Drug Policy Priorities Support Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery

Prescription overdoses and addiction rates have dramatically increased in the United States since 2012, with more than 70,000 deaths attributed to the abuse of fentanyl, opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine in 2019, a 35% increase since 2015. Addressing drug misuse is a top priority for the Biden-Harris administration, as well as researching systematic inequities in the country’s approach to criminal justice and prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Senate HELP Committee Reviews Federal Agencies’ COVID-19 Response

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is “committed to continuing to advance the science around COVID-19, moving more vaccines into more communities—especially those communities most at risk for COVID-19 infection—and working to improve health equity,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said during a March 2021 U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing. She joined Anthony Fauci, MD, David Kessler, MD, and Peter Marks, MD, PhD, in sharing witness testimonies about their agencies’ response to the pandemic and how to better prepare for future threats.

Patient financial advocacy

Biden-Harris Administration Issues Actions to Prevent Surprise Billing

In July 2021, the Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury and the Office of Personnel Management, issued the Requirements Related to Surprise Billing interim final rule to restrict surprise billing. The rule applies to billing for patients in job-based and individual health plans who obtain emergency care, nonemergency care from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

CMS Extends Enrollment Period Access for Marketplace Coverage

Those without healthcare coverage can now purchase annual policies through state exchanges until August 15, 2021, under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) extended Special Enrollment Period (SEP), ensuring continued access to affordable coverage for Americans during a time of healthcare uncertainty.

Cancer healthcare advocacy

As Usage Increases, U.S. Senators Reintroduce Telehealth Access Bill

In a bipartisan effort that recognizes patients' concerns about telehealth’s accessibility, the U.S. Senate promoted legislation to reduce barriers to care. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Thune (R-SD), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), along with 50 colleagues, introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021. The bill would “expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make permanent COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to safely connect with their doctors.”

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

FDA Requires E-Cigarette Brands to Provide Information on Social Media Practices

Companies marketing the tobacco brands Aspire, Joyetech, Vaporesso, and Voopoo, which were selected through a systematic process, must share information about social media marketing campaigns that target youth, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. The requirements include social media advertising documents and marketing plans, such as planned content to target specific audiences, cost of plans, use of partners and influences, and the number of followers and views broken down by age group.

Cancer health disparities

FDA Launches National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week

African Americans have a higher cancer burden and face greater obstacles to cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survival, according to the American Cancer Society. Health organizations such as ONS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are dedicated to breaking down barriers and improve access to quality care and resources for those patients. To increase cancer awareness in one of the most vulnerable segments of the U.S. population, the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) dedicated June 17–23, 2021, as National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week.

Oncology nursing community

NINR Seeks Nursing Input for 2022–2026 Strategic Plan

Nursing science research must look at the whole picture of health, including health equity, social determinants of health, and the translation of science into policy and practice, the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) said in its approach to developing the 2022–2026 strategic plan.

Cancer screening

USPSTF Recommends Colorectal Cancer Screening Should Begin at 45

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, with an estimated 52,980 individuals in the U.S. projected to die from the disease in 2021. After evaluating the current evidence and conducting a modeling study, USPSTF updated its recommendations on colorectal cancer screening.

Oncology nurse pride

National Library of Medicine Director Recognizes the Role of the Nurse During National Nursing Week

Nursing is a calling, but sometimes the profession takes nurses into careers that are an opportunity to serve others without direct patient care. In a recent blog post, Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, director of the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Library of Medicine, looked back at the roles she’s held. Brennan considered herself a “mother-daughter-sister-aunt-friend, and an advocate for self-care management education and support for all people.” But on top of it all, she is a nurse.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

ACA Provides Healthcare Coverage to 31 Million Americans

Approximately 31 million Americans now have healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a June 2021 issue brief from the office of the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation (ASPE). Of those, 11.3 million consumers were enrolled in Marketplace plans, 14.8 million people were newly enrolled in Medicaid, 1 million individuals were enrolled in ACA’s Basic Health Program option, and nearly 4 million previously eligible adults gained coverage under the Medicaid expansion due to enhanced outreach and increased federal funding. Additionally, insurance rates have fallen across the country since the law’s implementation 11 years ago.

ONS Leader Recognized as 2021 Congressional Woman of the Year

ONS Director-at-Large Anne Ireland, MSN, RN, AOCN®, CENP, and executive director of City of Hope’s Clinical Network and Outreach Nursing Department in Duarte, CA, was among the 12 San Gabriel Valley, CA, women on the frontlines of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to whom U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) dedicated the 2021 Congressional Woman of the Year award. The recipients were nominated for their extraordinary community service and leadership during the pandemic.

Healthcare safety standards

OSHA Issues Emergency Temporary Standard to Protect Healthcare Workers From COVID-19

“Frontline healthcare workers have a nearly 12-times higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19 compared with individuals in the general community,” according to the results of a 2020 study. Although U.S. vaccination rates continue to increase and infection rates continue to decrease, national government entities such as the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are releasing new guidelines to help protect those who are putting themselves at risk for transmission so they can care for others.

Cancer health policy

Challenging Times Require Bold Policy Actions

On April 28, 2021, in his first congressional address to the U.S. Congress, President Joe Biden proposed another major piece of legislation to put the country back on a path to enhance public health and promote economic growth. It was the latest in a series of bills from the new administration that have implications for oncology nurses and patients with cancer.

Oncology nurse-patient relationship

HHS Solidifies Protections for LGBTQ Patients

In a May 2021 expansion to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and the Title IX civil law, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office for Civil Rights, increased protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) people from discrimination. The revisions now prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Cancer health disparities

Research Between Structural Racism and Health Disparities Calls for Changes in Healthcare Delivery

Structural racism is repeatedly linked to health disparities, but a new agency report outlines plans to address discrimination and improve patient outcomes. In a special 2021 supplement to the journal Ethnicity and Disease, “Structural Racism and Discrimination: Impact on Minority Health and Health Disparities,” the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities published a series of reports exploring the relationships between policies, practices, and health. It also included recommended solutions, including outcomes from interventions in a school district and a local health department and future research directions (e.g., examining ways racism embedded in online systems can contribute to health disparities).

U.S. Rep. Underwood Pushes for Increased Access to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

In May 2021, U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood, RN (D-IL), introduced the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act that, if passed, would require private health insurance plans to cover three primary care visits and three behavioral health or substance abuse disorder visits per year without cost sharing. Underwood’s goal was to promote legislation that would make health care more accessible and affordable.

The Future of Nursing Charts a Path to Achieve Health Equity 

Society in 2021 has been challenged by an economic crisis and the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Today, nurses must have an arsenal of tools and knowledge—and the ability to adapt in unpredictable circumstances—to assist patients seeking health care.

Patient advocacy

Vivek Murthy Confirmed as U.S. Surgeon General, Again

Known as the nation’s doctor, the U.S. surgeon general provides scientific information and oversees the U.S. Public Health Service’s Commissioned Corps: more than 6,000 professionals who promote health across the United States. Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, who served as surgeon general under President Barack Obama, once again assumed his post as the nation’s doctor in March 2021 and said he will prioritize addressing the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and opioid epidemic during his second tenure. Murthy was appointed during his transition as the chair of the COVID-19 advisory board.

Oncology nurse influence

Oncology Nurses Are Making a Difference in Policy and Advocacy

A shining light to guide a burgeoning field—often referred to as “the lady with the lamp”—Florence Nightingale was a revolutionary figure in nursing, transforming care by simple but radical actions. Through scientific research she showed that sanitation and healthy diets improved patient outcomes, and through advocacy she fought for access to those conditions for all of her patients. She modeled the way for nurse advocates throughout history and into today.

Share These Resources to Increase COVID-19 Vaccination Rates

President Joe Biden committed to getting at least 70% of U.S. adults their first dose of the COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine and achieve 160 million fully vaccinated American adults by July 4, 2021. However, one in five Americans reported that they aren’t planning to get vaccinated. To dispel public fear and increase understanding, several U.S. health agencies provided multiple resources to educate patients and providers on vaccine distribution and efficacy.

FDA Bans Menthol and Flavored Cigars Through New Product Standards

The authority to adopt product standards is one of the most powerful tobacco regulatory tools that the U.S. Congress gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In April 2021, FDA took full advantage of that authority, announcing two new standards to add menthol to the banned flavor list and ban all flavored cigars.

New HHS Secretary Becerra Says Increased Access and Reduced Disparities Are Agency Priorities

On March 22, 2021, Xavier Becerra, BA, JD, became the first Latino appointed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and announced the agency’s focus on ensuring affordable and accessible health care for every American.

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To discuss the information in this article with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.

To report a content error, inaccuracy, or typo, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.

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Alec Stone MA, MPA, ONS Public Affairs Director

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