Advocacy/Health Policy
APHON is committed to ensuring that pediatric hematology/oncology nurses are provided with the latest information on pending legislative and regulatory issues and activities impacting the profession and patients. For more information, view our health policy agenda or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Legislative Action Center
The APHON Legislative Action Center provides federal and state legislative information about pediatric hematology/oncology patient care and nursing. Get involved by staying informed and taking action!
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Advocacy Correspondent
A quarterly offering from the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses, the newsletter's goal is to inform members about legislative and regulatory issues impacting the profession of pediatric hematology/oncology nursing and the patients we serve.
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Sign-On Letters
Sign-on letters are policy-oriented letters sent to Congress members, congressional committees, or federal agencies expressing the signatories' viewpoint.
Title VIII, STAR Act, Cancer Drug Parity, Creating Hope, COVID-19 Packages, and Other Key Legislation
APHON Contributes to Letter to Congress on Home and Community-Based Services
April 26, 2021
In response to a request from the Senate Aging Committee, APHON contributed to a letter with the Patient Quality of Life Coalition to leaders in Congress regarding stakeholder input on a draft of the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act. The act would ensure Medicaid can provide critical services, creating national requirements for home and community-based services, and make it possible to enhance those services and the long-term care workforce.
APHON and PQLC Send PCHETA Letter to Senate HELP Committee
April 9, 2021
APHON signed on to the Patient Quality of Life Coalition (PQLC) letter requesting that the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) be included in the workforce package being developed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
APHON Endorses the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0
March 31, 2021
APHON and the Alliance for Childhood Cancer endorsed the bipartisan Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 and sent a letter thanking Representatives Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10), Tom Cole (R-OK-04), Peter Welch (D-VT-At Large), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) for introducing the legislation. The bill would redirect penalties collected from pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food supplement, and medical device companies that break the law and use the money to fund critical rare pediatric disease research.
APHON Endorses the RISE Act
March 15, 2021
APHON signed on to the Alliance for Childhood Cancer letter supporting the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act.
APHON Reiterates COVID-19 Priorities Including the FAAN Act
February 25, 2021
APHON signed on to the Nursing Community Coalition letter to Congress reiterating COVID-19 priorities, which includes additional nursing education infrastructure through the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act.
APHON Welcomes 117th Congress
January 29, 2021
With the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC), APHON sent letters to the Senate and House welcoming the 117th Congress and outlining our shared priorities to combat COVID-19, invest in Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs, and support nursing research.
APHON and NCC Congratulate Chairwoman DeLauro on her Leadership of the House Appropriations Committee
January 29, 2021
APHON signed on to the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) letter congratulating Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) on her election as House Appropriations Committee Chair and looks forward to working with her again on issues relevant to nursing and healthcare.
APHON Named as Endorser of US Cadet Nurse Corps Service Recognition Act in Senate Press Release
May 28, 2021
Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) recently reintroduced the US Cadet Nurse Corps Service Recognition Act, a bill that honors women who served in the US Cadet Nurse Corps during WWII with honorary veteran status. We are proud to share that APHON was named as an endorser, alongside several other nursing organizations, in a press release announcing the reintroduction of the bill. APHON has endorsed this bill since last Congress.
In addition, APHON signed on to Nursing Community Coalition letters to Senator Warren and Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) and a bipartisan group of 40 original cosponsors thanking them for reintroducing the act in the Senate and House.
Leading Cancer Organizations Endorse Goal of Resuming Cancer Screening and Treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic
January 28, 2021
APHON is teaming up with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and other leading cancer organizations and cancer centers across the country to endorse the resumption of cancer screening and treatment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
APHON Joins AACR in Sending Letter Supporting National Cancer Research Month
May 27, 2021
APHON signed on to American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) letter thanking Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) for their resolution recognizing May as National Cancer Research Month. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971.
APHON and NCC Submit Testimony to House Appropriations Subcommittee
May 6, 2021
APHON signed on to the Nursing Community Coalition’s (NCC) written testimony submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS-ED). The testimony featured the coalition's funding requests of $530 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and $193 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) for FY 2022.
APHON, LLS, and Over 100 Health Organizations Send CAPs Letter to Congressional Health Leaders
April 26, 2021
APHON and over 100 health organizations joined in sending a letter organized by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to leaders on the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS-ED) supporting Consumer Assistance Programs (CAPs). Established under the Affordable Care Act, CAPs help consumers handle problems with their health insurance to increase insurance coverage and expand access to care.
APHON and the Alliance Send Letters to Congress Supporting PRCRP at the DOD
April 14, 2021
APHON continued its support for the Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) at the Department of Defense (DOD) through the Alliance for Childhood Cancer (Alliance).
APHON and the Alliance Send Letters to Congress Supporting Vital NIH and NCI Funding, Including the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and CCDI
April 14, 2021
APHON continued its support for vital National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding through the Alliance for Childhood Cancer (Alliance). This support includes advocating for full funding for the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act at $30 million and the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) at $50 million in FY 2022.
APHON Supports Federal Sickle Cell Disease Programs
March 19, 2021
APHON has joined the American Society of Hematology and other fellow Sickle Cell Disease Coalition organizations in signing on to a letter to Congress requesting funding for federal sickle cell disease programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
APHON Urges House and Senate Subcommittees on LHHS-ED to Fund Title VIII and NINR
March 16, 2021
APHON signed on to the Nursing Community Coalition letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS-ED) outlining the funding request levels of $530 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and $193 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) for FY 2022.
APHON Supports Funding for Pediatric Reference Intervals
February 17, 2021
APHON signed on to a letter led by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry which supports funding to help generate pediatric reference intervals from existing clinical samples at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Coalitions
Many times, the best way to make an impact with a broad audience is to partner with a coalition that can help advance our priority issues. APHON belongs to the following coalitions:
