Health Policy & Legislation News

Welcome to the Health Policy & Legislation Newsletter, your go-to resource for understanding the dynamic intersection of healthcare and policy. At the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL), we recognize the pivotal role that nurse leaders play in shaping the future of healthcare through advocacy, legislative engagement, and informed leadership.

In this issue, we’ll explore critical updates on health policy and legislation impacting California's nursing community and beyond. From advancements in workforce development initiatives to changes in healthcare access and funding, this newsletter equips you with the insights and tools needed to navigate and influence the legislative landscape.

As nurse leaders, your voices are essential in shaping policies that promote equity, improve patient outcomes, and address the pressing challenges of our time. We hope this newsletter empowers you to stay informed, get involved, and drive meaningful change in our healthcare system.

Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing nursing and health policy. Together, we can make a difference!

The Health Policy Committee Members:

Mary Lynne Knighten, Chair

Surani Hayre Kwan, Co-Chair

Nicholas Breeland, Board Liaison

Mojgan Bashiri, PolicyEngage Coordinator

Carolyn Bogard

Jessica Cheverie

Karen Descent

Bri DuBose

Joyce Eden

Susan Engle

Angela Flowers

Steve Garcia

Polly King

Dahlia Maldonado, Secretary

Alice Martanegara

Diane Morey

Denise Robinson

Anjeleena Singh

Anne Marie Watkins

Carina Menjivar

Shiloh Williams

Sandra Marquez

Kimberly Long

Sheree Lowe, CHA Liaison

Below is a reminder to access our Legislative Tracker on the website.

The ACNL Health Policy Educational Subcommittee has had a productive and insightful year, dedicated to understanding and addressing the evolving educational needs of our nurse leaders in the realm of health policy and advocacy. Our journey began with a comprehensive survey distributed to our members, aiming to gauge their current competencies and preferences for receiving health policy education.

Survey Insights: Understanding Member Needs

From the survey, we received responses from 59 engaged members. When asked to self-assess their competency in health policy and advocacy, 40.68% identified themselves as “competent,” while 27.12% considered themselves “advanced beginners.” These were the two most common responses, highlighting a broad spectrum of experience and confidence among our members.

Members reported accessing health policy information through a variety of channels over the past year. The most popular sources included webinars, the annual program and chapter meetings, and professional organizations. However, a significant portion—45.76%—indicated that they primarily find health policy information independently. Notably, 61% of respondents had not accessed the policy tracker, an important resource available on the ACNL website.

Preferred Methods for Health Policy Education

When asked about preferred methods for receiving health policy updates, 61% of respondents expressed a preference for webinars. This was closely followed by 51% who favored updates through the legislator tracker on the ACNL website. Podium presentations at chapter or annual conferences were also popular, with 42% indicating this would be beneficial, and 37% felt that podcasts would be a helpful educational tool.

Committee Initiatives: Meeting Members Where They Are

In direct response to this valuable feedback, the Health Policy Educational Subcommittee has worked diligently to enhance and diversify our educational offerings. We have increased dissemination of information about the legislator tracker, ensuring members are aware of and can easily access this important resource on the ACNL website.

Recognizing the growing interest in podcasts as an educational medium, our team has invested significant effort into producing timely and meaningful podcast episodes. Recent highlights include:

• Gun Safety in Health Care: Featuring expert insights from Jessica Cheverie and Mark Reed, this episode provided a comprehensive look at the intersection of gun safety and healthcare.
• New Year, New Legislation: Pam Allen and Alice Martanegara summarize new legislation impacting service and academia, and prime nurse leaders for action.
  
• Your Story Matters: In this inspiring episode, Shiloh Williams shared her personal journey in health policy, demonstrating how nurses can use their voices beyond the bedside to advocate for the profession and drive meaningful change.

The Health Policy podcast episodes have achieved more than 700 downloads. We thank you for your engagement and support.

ACNL In Action: Lessons in Nursing Leadership - Listen on Health Podcast Network

Looking Ahead: Commitment to Excellence in Health Policy Education

We are deeply grateful to all members who participated in our survey and shared their perspectives. Your feedback is invaluable as we strive to deliver high-quality, relevant, and accessible health policy education that empowers nurse leaders at every stage of their careers.

As we move forward, the ACNL Health Policy Educational Subcommittee remains committed to meeting your educational needs, elevating your knowledge, and supporting your advocacy efforts. Together, we can continue to strengthen the voice of nursing in health policy and make a lasting impact on the future of healthcare.

For more information on upcoming webinars, podcasts, and resources, please visit the ACNL website and stay connected with our Health Policy Educational Subcommittee.

Carolyn Bogard, DNP, MS, RN, NEA-BC, CMAC

Despite its long history in aviation and proof that simulation-based education can improve patient safety and outcomes (1), healthcare still has great opportunity to partner across academic and clinical organizations to incorporate this evidence-based method of learning. The Central San Joaquin Valley has a long-standing shortage of healthcare professionals, including a lower supply of physicians compared to other California regions, which contributes to the poorer health outcomes in the valley population (2).

To break down the barriers to the adoption of healthcare simulation, there has been focused effort in 2025, through the Legislative Advocacy Committee of the Central San Joaquin Valley Nursing Leadership Coalition (NLC) , a chapter of the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL), to build knowledge about a regional healthcare simulation program that would promote academic and clinical organizations to more effectively pool their financial resources and utilize qualified simulation educators, operation specialists , and program coordinators. In the three forums hosted this year, knowledge has spread to our NLC members, our nursing and medical academic and service leadership in the valley, our legislative partners, our city officials for Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Merced, and Visalia, and business members of the community who support efforts to make the valley a healthier place to work and live.

Strategic partnerships are the game changer when financial support and adoption of innovation are needed. The Family Health Science Institute (FHSI) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a planned medical facility and training campus in North Fresno. The NLC has enthusiastically supported awareness of the opportunity to join FHSI’s plans for simulation and interprofessional collaboration to prepare the next generation of physicians, nurses, and healthcare workers. We are fortunate to have the FHSI project in Fresno to leverage. This is an innovative start to a solution but we recognize that without sufficient funding and policy support, the potential of simulation to transform healthcare education and practice will remain underutilized.

These Recommendations are the knowledge guide to our legislators and city officials:

Promote Regional Shared Resource Initiatives

• Establish a strategic, cost-saving Regional Healthcare Simulation System
• Encourage collaboration between government agencies, academic institutions, and healthcare systems to co-develop and sustain regional simulation centers, ensuring equitable access and long-term viability
• Centralize and scale training across hospitals, academic and other community partners to eliminate duplicative spending

• Establish dedicated federal and state grants to support healthcare simulation programs.
• Provide subsidies or tax incentives for organizations and institutions investing in simulation-based education.

• Implement a minimum requirement for high quality simulation within pre and post licensure education.
• Advocate for high quality simulation as part of licensure and continuing education for healthcare professionals.
• Support policies integrating high quality simulation into onboarding programs for new nurses and other healthcare providers to reduce attrition and improve retention.
• Require healthcare facilities to implement high quality simulation for high-risk procedures.

• Prioritize funding for simulation programs in rural and underserved areas to address workforce shortages and improve patient outcomes.
• Expand tele-simulation and virtual reality programs to reach geographically isolated healthcare providers and students.
• Develop state and regional simulation networks to facilitate resource sharing and collaborative training opportunities.
• Allocate funding for the recruitment, training, and certification of simulation educators, operations specialists, and program coordinators.
• Encourage collaboration between academic institutions and healthcare organizations to build a sustainable pipeline of simulation experts.

By implementing these recommendations, legislators and city officials can strengthen the healthcare workforce, improve patient safety, and reduce long-term healthcare costs through the strategic use of high-quality simulation.

References

1. Bienstock, J., & Heuer, A. (2022). A review on the evolution of simulation-based training to help build a safer future. Medicine, 101(25), e29503.
2. Meeting the Demand of Health: Final Report of the California Future Health Workforce Commission, California Future Health Workforce Commission, February 2019, https://futurehealthworkforce.org/.

Joyce Eden MHA, MSN, RN

Nursing has always been rooted in advocacy. We stand in the gap for patients when they are most vulnerable, speaking for them, protecting them, and guiding them through moments that often reshape their lives. Advocacy reaches into the deeper layers of a person’s experience. At Loma Linda, we hold a unique understanding that people are not only physical beings but emotional, relational, and spiritual ones. When we honor all of these dimensions, healing becomes something far richer than what we can measure in vitals or lab values.

This truth became especially clear through the difficult journey of one of our own. A staff member’s daughter faced a serious illness, and her courage and faith stirred something unexpected within our nursing leadership team. What began as a prayer vigil for this family grew into a weekly prayer gathering open to anyone who wished to join. The purpose was simple. Bring the needs of our staff, our patients and their loved ones before God. Offer a space of hope. Remember that caring for people means caring for their spirits as well. Most weeks we meet online so everyone can join. On the first week of each month, we meet in person in the hospital lobby for a shared moment of reflection, prayer and hope.

More than a year has passed since that first gathering. Each week we bring names, stories and quiet burdens into that space, whether through a screen or side by side in the lobby. Week after week we have seen God meet us there. We have witnessed answered prayers. We have celebrated breakthroughs that had no easy explanation. We have watched blessings layer upon blessings, reminding us that advocacy is not only what we do but who we are called to be.

One recent moment captured this so clearly. A young girl visiting the hospital found herself overwhelmed with grief unrelated to the reason she was here. Her emotional pain was heavy and visible. Our team spent time with her and her family, listening and simply being present. When we prayed for them, the room shifted. Walls came down. Tears flowed freely. What followed was a beautiful moment of healing and connection that had nothing to do with clinical intervention and everything to do with compassion and spiritual presence. It was advocacy in its purest form: standing with someone in their need and inviting hope into the space.

Nurses are trained to restore physical health, but we are also entrusted with something far greater. We are invited into the sacred work of caring for the whole person. At Loma Linda, spiritual healing is woven into our identity. When we pray with our patients, encourage their families or simply create a space for peace, we extend a kind of care that transforms lives in ways medicine alone cannot.

Patient advocacy begins at the bedside, but its impact grows when we care for the body, mind, and spirit together. This is where true healing happens.

Tamara Clare BSN, RN, CMSRN, CNML

The Orange County/Long Beach (OCLB) Chapter of the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) hosted a significant educational and networking event focused on navigating the challenges of today's healthcare environment.

The event, titled "OCLB ACNL Chapter Education Day Connections at Orange Coast Medical Center," was scheduled for Friday, August 15, 2025, at the MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA.

Event Highlights included

• Focus on Leadership: The central theme, "Leading Through Uncertainty," highlights the chapter's commitment to equipping nurse leaders with the strategies and connections necessary for knowledge, opportunities for advocacy, and leadership amid the rapidly changing healthcare landscapes.
• Networking Opportunities: The event provides a dedicated platform for nurse leaders spanning clinical practice, academia, and industry to connect, exchange insights, and discuss critical nursing issues.
• Talent Connection: Representatives from healthcare systems such as UCI Health, Memorial Care, and Sharp Coronado, as well as Congressman Derek Tran's Office, were present to connect with attendees, discuss career growth, and explore future leadership opportunities within the nursing field.

Chapter Mission: The Orange County/Long Beach Chapter of the ACNL is a vibrant, engaged group of nurse leaders who meet quarterly to connect, network, and discuss the top nursing issues of the day, with a focus on both professional development and community outreach (currently revolving around elder care and placement).

A Commitment to Professional Growth

The OCLB Chapter, a vibrant group of California nurse leaders dedicated to providing quality patient care and fostering innovation in the Orange County and Long Beach areas, regularly meets to address key issues facing the nursing community such as H.R1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act). With a full educational agenda, the event was clearly designed to be a pivotal day for professional development and connection within the local nursing leadership community.

This annual Education Day continues serves as a great opportunity for professional development, ensuring local nurse leaders remain at the forefront of the profession.

Alice Martanegara DNP, RN

Do you want to influence the future of health policy? The C. Duane Dauner Health Policy Certificate Program has been created to provide nurses at all levels of leadership—from staff nurses to CNOs—with the knowledge and skill to engage with and influence health policy in our organizations, local communities, state, or at the national level.

This certificate program, designed by current and former ACNL Health Policy Committee members, began several years ago with competency development viewed through the lens of “novice to expert”. A comprehensive literature search for evidence-based and evidence-informed content was developed with specific modules created.

This is the first program delivered by ACNL on an asynchronous learning management program for the convenience of working nurses. Nurse leaders will be empowered to understand the intricate policymaking process, including how legislation impacts nursing and healthcare at the local, state, and national levels. There are seven courses in the C. Duane Dauner Health Policy Certificate Program; The first five launched in 2025. The last two will launch in early 2026.

● Legislation and Policy-making Process

● Advocacy

● Stakeholders and Key Players

● Evidence and Data Utilization

● Networking, Communication, & Interpersonal Skills

● Budget & Health Policy Finance

● Rights & responsibilities

The asynchronous courses may be taken individually (with CEUs awarded). If/when all seven courses are completed, a program certificate will be awarded. To register for the courses, please access this link: C. Duane Dauner Health Policy and Advocacy for Nurse Leaders Certificate Program

Thus far, we have had 60 nurse leaders register for one or more of the five courses launched in 2025. ACNL will continue to promote this meaningful set of courses. Registration is open, and currently there is no limit on the amount of time you may take to complete the courses.

We have published two articles on the work of the Health Policy Committee, each focusing on the knowledge and skills we offer our nurse leaders in the health policy arena.

• Knighten, M. L., Bivona-Tellez, C., Dower, C., Hayre-Kwan, S., Montgomery, M., Morey. D., Okoh, G., & White. J. (2021, January 7). Charting a new course: Developing advocacy skills in California's nurse leaders. AONL Voice of Nursing Leadership.
• Knighten, M. L., Engle, S. Descent, K., Hayre-Kwan, S., Williams, S., Martanegara, A., Breeland, N. Maldonado, D., & Bashiri, M. (pending publication, 2026, January/March). Leading Nurses to Become Informed and Intelligently Engage: Association of California Nurse Leaders’ Health Policy Work. Nursing Administration Quarterly. DOI pending

So, please consider registering and learn how to use your voice to shape healthcare policy and make meaningful changes for your patients and community. This certificate program focuses on critical health policy topics, real-world insights, and practical resources, and the courses provide a clear pathway to becoming an informed and impactful health policy advocate.

We want to thank those nurse leaders, present and past members of the Health Policy Committee, for their contributions to this work.

Byline:

Mary Lynne Knighten, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

Susan C. Engle, DNP, RN

Dear colleagues,

2025 has been a busy year with a rapidly changing legislative landscape at the state and national level. I want to commend the ACNL Health Policy Committee members for their spirit of volunteerism and their consistent engagement around the issues that impact patients, healthcare, and nursing practice.

And thank you to Dr. Long, who always supports us, and Mariah Gillam for her coordination and collaboration. Happy Holidays!

Created by Mariah Gillam, BA - ACNL Project Coordinator

Email: info@acnl.org
Website: https://www.acnl.org/
Location: 180 Promenade Circle suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95834, USA
Phone: 916-779-6949