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    Interprofessional Issues
    Novel, Interprofessional Approach Enhances Bed Assignments for Individuals on Antineoplastic Drugs in a Hospital Setting
    August 22, 2024
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    Nurse Empowerment
    How AI Can Support Oncology Nurses’ Spirit of Inquiry
    August 15, 2024
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    Nurse Empowerment
    Sharing Our Stories Supports, Celebrates, and Advances the Nursing Profession
    July 04, 2024
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    Publish Your First Article With ONS Voice
    March 19, 2024
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    Nurse Well-Being
    When Health Care Is Woven in Our Family Fabric, We Find Support in Unexpected Places
    March 07, 2024
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    ONS Signature Legislation, PCHETA, Reintroduced in U.S. Senate
    Health Policy

    ONS Signature Legislation, PCHETA, Reintroduced in U.S. Senate

    The Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA) is a key ONS policy priority. After unsuccessfully navigating both chambers of the 115th Congress prior to the 2018 midterm elections, the bill had to begin its legislative journey once again in the new 116th congressional session.

    July 31, 2019
    FDA Takes More Steps Toward Regulating E-Cigarettes
    Health Policy

    FDA Takes More Steps Toward Regulating E-Cigarettes

    After the U.S. surgeon general’s announcement that youth smoking epidemic was in part a result of vaping and tobacco companies’ marketing and advertising of flavored products, federal agencies began looking for ways to address the growing problem. The ease at which elementary and high school students can access vaping mechanisms was a battle cry for former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who was an outspoken advocate for regulating and penalizing companies that targeted marketing efforts at young Americans.

    July 30, 2019
    No Health Cost Vote; FDA Youth Tobacco Campaign; Senate Committee Drug Bill
    Health Policy

    No Health Cost Vote; FDA Youth Tobacco Campaign; Senate Committee Drug Bill

    From soaring prescription medication costs to surprise medical bills, the issue of high healthcare costs has dominated headlines for months. Both sides of the aisle have been outspoken about the issue in a rare showing of bipartisanship. But despite the attention paid to the issue, little has been done legislatively to corral rising healthcare costs for patients and consumers. The recent announcement that the Senate wouldn’t vote on its healthcare cost bill prior to the August recess has left many wondering if the issue would be addressed at all.

    July 29, 2019
    Surprise Billing Legislation; Drug Pricing Reform Stalls; GOP's ACA Repeal
    Affordable Care Act (ACA)

    Surprise Billing Legislation; Drug Pricing Reform Stalls; GOP's ACA Repeal

    Surprise medical bills—a long-time problem for patients and consumers—was not on the legislative radar until recently. In short order, the issue has quickly moved through the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill, to offer some hope for consumers. Part of the committee’s mark up added an amendment allowing for arbitration to address specific medical charges if hospitals disagreed with the agreed-upon rate. Some committee members felt that without it, providers would have limited recourse in special circumstances.

    July 22, 2019
    Tobacco 21 Gets Federal Boost
    Health Policy

    Tobacco 21 Gets Federal Boost

    In February 2019, the U.S. Surgeon General declared the rise of youth vaping was the latest epidemic facing the American public. Reversing a two-decades-long trend of declining smoking rates among underage smokers, e-cigarette use and vaping have become commonplace among children younger than 18.

    July 20, 2019
    America’s Old Tobacco Business Reignites as a New Industry
    Health Policy

    America’s Old Tobacco Business Reignites as a New Industry

    America’s love affair with tobacco has a long and sordid history. As automated machines ushered in a new age of modernization in the early 20th century, cigarettes were readily available as never before. Although some in the temperance movement believed tobacco products were the gateway to alcohol and drug abuse, by the 1930s and 1940s, physicians were touting cigarettes as almost a healing treatment that calmed the nerves and desensitized the body with positive effects. 

    July 18, 2019
    PCHETA in the Senate; Armed Forces Tobacco Use; Drug Pricing Executive Order
    Health Policy

    PCHETA in the Senate; Armed Forces Tobacco Use; Drug Pricing Executive Order

    An ONS priority bill, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) emphasizes how providers are educated and trained in palliative care, enabling them to provide a higher level of care to their patients. PCHETA legislation—and its reception on Capitol Hill—has evolved from being misinterpreted as training providers to hasten death to a true understanding that palliative care is patient-centered care, and it provides patients and their family members with further treatment options, symptom management resources, and quality of life. In a display of bipartisanship, Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) reintroduced PCHETA legislation to the Senate floor for consideration.

    July 15, 2019
    ONS Capitol Hill Days Preps Nurses for Advocacy
    Health Policy

    ONS Capitol Hill Days Preps Nurses for Advocacy

    Oncology nurses advocate for their patients every day, and it’s easy to see firsthand the difference it can have in those patients’ and families’ lives. But there’s a way to make an even larger impact by using those same advocacy skills at the local, state, or even national level—potentially changing thousands or even millions of lives of patients, survivors, and families across the United States.

    July 11, 2019
    NIH All of Us Campaign Celebrates First Anniversary
    Health Policy

    NIH All of Us Campaign Celebrates First Anniversary

    As part of the rising wave of precision medicine initiatives, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the All of Us campaign in 2018. This one-of-a-kind research program aimed to collect data from more than one million Americans, including factors about lifestyle, environment, and biology, to understand impacts on health and well being. The information would help researchers to better understand the individual nature of health to ultimately inform decisions about delivering precision medicine.  

    July 11, 2019
    Supreme Court to Hear Case on ACA Back Payments
    Affordable Care Act (ACA)

    Supreme Court to Hear Case on ACA Back Payments

    When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was first implemented, the government encouraged private insurance companies to participate in the health insurance marketplace to increase competition and keep prices low for patients. According to several private insurers, the government committed to reimbursing companies if the cost of their healthcare claims exceeded premiums charged in the first three years. To date, no payments have been made between the government and private insurance companies, and a new lawsuit is making its way through the judicial system.

    July 10, 2019
    President Releases Executive Order on Healthcare Transparency
    Health Policy

    President Releases Executive Order on Healthcare Transparency

    As challenges mount to find new and innovative ways to provide quality health care at affordable prices for patients, a battle is brewing over what patients can and cannot know about their healthcare costs. On June 24, President Trump released an executive order directing his administration to take steps to improve healthcare prices and transparency to address the pricing woes patients face.

    July 09, 2019
    Eliminating Private Insurance; Raising the Smoking Age; HPV Vaccine Recommendation
    Health Policy

    Eliminating Private Insurance; Raising the Smoking Age; HPV Vaccine Recommendation

    Candidates in the first Democratic presidential debate spent some time addressing issues related to healthcare access. In point-blank questions, they were asked what they might do in support of Medicare for All, especially whether they’d be in favor of eliminating private insurance companies. Many were supportive of the overarching legislation, some were wary of eliminating insurance companies outright, and others flat out opposed it.

    July 08, 2019
    Healthcare Price Transparency; Cancer Survivor Caucus; Insurers Sue for ACA Backpay
    Health Policy

    Healthcare Price Transparency; Cancer Survivor Caucus; Insurers Sue for ACA Backpay

    Since 2016, then-candidate Trump promised he was going to bring healthcare costs under control. In a White House announcement on June 24, 2019, the president took steps to add transparency to the process by requiring insurance companies, hospitals, and physicians to identify fees and costs in public and simple ways for patients to see in advance and to understand.

    July 01, 2019
    Personalized Combination Therapies Yield Better Cancer Outcomes
    Cancer Research

    Personalized Combination Therapies Yield Better Cancer Outcomes

    In a perpetual search to refine research and scientific advancements in the pursuit of fighting cancer, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is investing in research that will help practitioners further understand how treatments and combinations of treatments can benefit patients. Through a focus on precision oncology, researchers are examining which combinations of therapies would work best for each individual patient based on a number of factors, including genetics and genomics.

    June 24, 2019
    CDC Highlights E-Cigarettes’ Dangers
    Cancer Risk Factors

    CDC Highlights E-Cigarettes’ Dangers

    The advent of e-cigarettes and vaping mechanisms has shifted the dynamic of underage tobacco use for the first time in more than a decade. In fact, the U.S. surgeon general declared the situation a national epidemic. Known as e-cigs, vapes, e-hookah, vape pens, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), the mechanisms look similar to USB flash drives, pens, and other items not typically associated with tobacco consumption.

    June 23, 2019
    House Appropriations Committee Releases 2020 Draft Budget Allocations
    Research

    House Appropriations Committee Releases 2020 Draft Budget Allocations

    The House Appropriations Committee recently released its draft outline for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education 2020 funding bill, allocating more than $189 billion in discretionary funding for education and training, medical research, and health care. The legislation includes funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For 2020, the House Appropriations Committee increased funding by $11.7 billion over 2019 levels.

    June 22, 2019
    Pain Management Task Force Issues First Report on Pain Control Best Practices
    Medical Reimbursement

    Pain Management Task Force Issues First Report on Pain Control Best Practices

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 million Americans experience acute and chronic pain daily. Managing the pain is debilitating and costly, and the impact on the economy is felt through employment issues along with a heightened burden on the healthcare system.

    June 21, 2019
    Bipartisan Support in Congress for Raising the Tobacco Age to 21 Nationwide
    Health Policy

    Bipartisan Support in Congress for Raising the Tobacco Age to 21 Nationwide

    Two U.S. senators from different parties, who hail from states with the largest and most successful tobacco crop, have come together to raise the national smoking age. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have teamed up to cosponsor the Tobacco-Free Youth Act (S. 1541), a bill that would restrict the marketing, sale, and distribution of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. A similar bill, Tobacco to 21 Act (H.R. 2411), was introduced in the House by Diane Degette (D-CO).

    June 20, 2019
    Congress Tackles Youth Smoking; Pelosi Drug Price; Biden's Cancer Commitment
    Health Policy

    Congress Tackles Youth Smoking; Pelosi Drug Pricing; Biden's Cancer Commitment

    Healthcare advocates assembled in the U.S. Congress to hear from panelists about the national epidemic of youth smoking. From those conversations, a common theme emerged: many believe that the rise in youth vaping and smoking is directly related to marketing and sales tactics by large tobacco manufacturers.

    June 17, 2019
    National Report Shows Drop in Cancer Mortality
    Health Policy

    National Report Shows Drop in Cancer Mortality

    In May 2019, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Cancer Society, and North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) released a report detailing the decreasing cancer mortality rates in the United States. It’s a welcome trend among the cancer community, highlighting past efforts in prevention, screening, and early detection—along with improving rates of treatment success. 

    June 13, 2019
    HHS Secretary Remarks on Pricing in Drug Ads
    Health Policy

    HHS Secretary Remarks on Pricing in Drug Ads

    In the aftermath of the 2018 midterm election, one domestic policy issue shone through as a common ground for most Americans: healthcare costs. In particular, the dramatic rise in prices for prescription medication seems to be a pervasive worry among voters. To address the issue, elected officials in Washington, DC—in a bipartisan fashion not often seen—have consulted and impaneled congressional hearings to understand the economic impact medication costs.

    June 13, 2019
    Bidens Step Down From Foundation as Presidential Campaign Is Formalized
    Cancer Moonshot

    Bidens Step Down From Foundation as Presidential Campaign Is Formalized

    As the 2020 presidential campaign kicks into high gear, the much-anticipated candidacy of former Vice President Joe Biden was announced. Biden, along with his wife Jill, had to make the necessary legal adjustments to cut ties with their formal involvement in the Biden Foundation, including a number of cancer-related projects. The Bidens made the move to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest with a presidential run.

    June 13, 2019
    Healthcare Financial Problems; ACA Reduced Disparities; FDA Project Facilitate
    Affordable Care Act (ACA)

    Healthcare Financial Problems; ACA Reduced Disparities; FDA Project Facilitate

    Health care is driving domestic policy agenda, and voters have shown it’s a crucial component in their decision making. The money associated with healthcare costs has been a driving factor in politics year after year. Public opinion polling found that health care is the most important factor when it comes to financial burden for Americans, reports from 2018 indicated that Americans spent more than $88 billion on health care alone.

    June 10, 2019
    Durbin Calls Out FDA; Medicare for All Support; Cancer Mortality Drops
    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

    Durbin Calls Out FDA; Medicare for All Support; Cancer Mortality Drops

    In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) shared harsh criticism for the agency’s lack of attention to the youth smoking epidemic. His letter from May 29, 2019, detailed efforts that the agency could be taking to curb the rise in youth tobacco use. The smoking cessation community, of which ONS is a palpable member, has sided with Durbin on the importance of continued FDA oversight on e-cigarettes and the vaping industry’s kid-friendly, fun-flavored tobacco products. Groups like the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids have been forceful in comments to the agency about the need for stricter regulations on products.

    June 03, 2019
    Lowy Appointed NCI Acting Director
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)

    Lowy Appointed NCI Acting Director

    Government service isn’t forever. Dynamic, transformative leaders enter and leave federally appointed positions for a variety of reasons and new appointments. Such was the case for the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) former director Norman Sharpless, MD, who was appointed to head the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2019 after Scott Gottlieb, MD, announced he would step down as of June 2019.

    May 21, 2019
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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.

    content['#byline_profile'].image_alt_text
    Alec Stone MA, MPA, Former ONS Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy

    Alec Stone served as the ONS director of government affairs and advocacy from September 2010–September 2023.
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