Health Policy & Advocacy
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 related to 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 goal of the newsletter 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 members of Congress, congressional committees, or federal agencies expressing the viewpoint of the signatories.
APHON, NCCN, ASCO, and Others Urge the President to Keep the US in the WHO
July 16, 2020
In mid-July, APHON, ASCO, ASH, HOPA, and others joined a letter organized by NCCN urging the president to reconsider the withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organization (WHO). This reinforces APHON’s support for the WHO, an organization that is foundational to cancer care. The letter expresses support for the bipartisan Global Hope Act which passed the House and was introduced by Reps. McCaul (R-TX) and Engel (D-NY). The Global Hope Act supports the notion that the US should work to support the goals of the WHO Initiative for Childhood Cancer, which helps increase survival rates for children with cancer.
APHON Contacts the White House for Nursing Mental Health During COVID-19
May 19, 2020
Several nursing organizations including APHON and led by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, submitted a letter to the White House as a call to action for psychological first aid for nurses on the frontline of COVID-19 patient care. The letter was also shared with Health and Human Services and Congress, as well as state governors as activating and deploying this aid would require state action.
APHON Sends Letter to Congress Outlining Additional COVID-19 Priorities
April 28, 2020
APHON and fellow Nursing Community Coalition members sent a letter to House and Senate leadership thanking them for their work to combat COVID-19 and outlining additional priorities for future COVID-19 legislation.
APHON Submits Testimony to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
April 23, 2020
APHON joined sixty members of the Nursing Community Coalition and signed on to written testimony submitted to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The testimony included funding requests of $278 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and $182 million for the National Institute for Nursing Research for Fiscal Year 2021.
APHON Joins the Alliance for Childhood Cancer’s FY21 NIH Appropriations Requests to House and Senate
March 9, 2020
APHON signed on to the Alliance’s FY21 NIH appropriations requests, calling for increases in funding for medical research: $3 billion for the NIH and $500 million for the NCI. A request for $30 million to fund the initiatives set forth in the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act was included.
APHON Sends PRIs Letter to House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees
February 27, 2019
APHON joined with the American Association for Clinical Chemistry to support pediatric reference intervals (PRIs) with a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. It includes a recommendation that Congress provides the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Health Laboratory with an additional $10 million in FY 2021 to initiate and advance this essential work.
APHON Comments on Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
September 27, 2019
Through the Patient Quality of Life Coalition, APHON submitted comments on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. The comments were submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and provide a variety of recommendations in support of increasing access to palliative care services.
APHON Joins the Nursing Community Coalition Letter to Senate HELP Committee Urging Them to Advance Title VIII
September 5, 2019
APHON joined all members of the NCC and signed on to a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee urging them to consider and advance Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019 (S.1399).
APHON joined the Patient Quality of Life Coalition in commenting on the Pain Management Best Practices Draft Report
April 2019
The overall comments focused on ensuring that pain management policies continued to address the opioid epidemic and to ensure patients with serious illnesses had access to pain medications
APHON sent a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
April 2019
The letter commented on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies supporting $10 million in fiscal year 2020 to help generate pediatric reference intervals from existing clinical samples. This funding would help create a more standard reference interval for a more accurate diagnosis.
APHON Joins Comments To Address America’s Rising Health Care Costs
March 2019
APHON joined the Patient Quality of Life Coalition in responding to the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee’s request for information on ways to address health care costs. PQLC supported efforts to increase access to palliative and hospice care services as a way to lower health care costs.
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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:
