Message from Lisa S. Pair, NPAA VP of Policy

We are beginning a grassroots effort to get more Alabama NPs involved in the legislative process. In order for us to be successful in these legislative efforts, we all need to become more active in effecting policy change. If you are active in your regional NP group,  you have already heard about this effort. If you are not active in your regional group, now is the time to become active. We need every NP in the state to do the following: 

1. Identify the House of Representative and Senate leaders in your district and determine are if there are new candidates for those positions in the November 2022 election. 
2. Reach out to your representatives individually and invite them for a one-on-one cup of coffee. The goal of these simple 30-minute meet and greets is to allow the representative to learn who you are, to let them know you are a constituent and NP, and to share examples of what you do in your practice setting. It is also an opportunity for you to get to know the current leaders and any potential new leaders and to learn their views on what they think the important issues are in your district.
3. Last, it is an opportunity for you to offer to help in their campaign.  

If you are willing to do this, we want to hear from you. My email is vppolicy@npalliancealabama.org. We have access to talking points and other resources to help you as you begin to dialogue with our local legislators.  It is important that we are all on the same page with our messaging. I can provide this information to you, or your regional leaders can assist you. We are all here working together at the regional and state level as one team to impact policy to improve the health of Alabamians. Now is the time for each of us to join this effort. 

Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)

Alabama Emergency Response Technology (ALERT)

Health Alert Network (HAN)

Guidance for Monkeypox Test Submission

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) continues to receive consultations regarding suspected Monkeypox cases. The preferred method of submitting a clinical consultation and requesting approval for specimen testing is through the ADPH REDCap database.

Direct link to the database:

https://redcap.link/monkeypoxconsultation

This secure portal allows for the entry of basic demographic information, clinical and epidemiologic information, and relevant attachments including pictures or clinical notes for a suspected case.

After submission, this information is reviewed by one of the ADPH medical officers. If testing is approved, the sample is then forwarded to the Bureau of Clinical Laboratories (BCL). As the medical officers must approve testing, it is vitally important that all fields on the page be completed. If not, you may be asked to edit the submission. Exam notes and pictures are also extremely helpful in the decision-making process.

If the medical officer has additional questions, you may be contacted personally. Please include your primary and secondary contact information in the submission. If the submitting provider feels that the case is particularly compelling for monkeypox, testing may be done and stored by the method below while awaiting ADPH approval. This would avoid the patient having to return for specimen collection.

Please see the following document for specimen collection and shipping information:

https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/monkeypox/assets/mpx-specimen-guidance.pdf

If tested, the patient will also need to be contacted to provide isolation instructions while they wait on their test results. Until there is a negative result, they should isolate according to the guidance provided for those people with Monkeypox.

Here is a link to that guidance:

https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/infection-control-home.html

If the test result is positive, ADPH will follow up with additional information on vaccination and/or treatment depending on the situation.

For more information, please visit https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/monkeypox/healthcare.html

Cahaba NP Residency Program

The Cahaba NP Residency program has recently received Accreditation Status with the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium, making us the first NP residency in the state to receive accreditation status. 

We have had a program since 2018 and are continuing to grow and improve, en route to greater and greater excellence every year. 

We are looking for quality candidates to interview for next year's class. Applications for this 2022-2023 cohort will end July 31, 2022. 

Any NP who even mildly desires a residency experience, and has graduated in the last 18 months, we want to offer a chance to interview. 

Please view our webpage for more information.

Alabama Physician 

& Medical Practitioner Survey

The Collective Impact Model for Part C (CIM-C) needs your help understanding the developmental screening and referral practices taking place in medical settings across Alabama.

Alabama’s Early Intervention System, in collaboration with WestEd, is piloting a US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)-funded model demonstration project to improve and enhance Alabama Early Intervention efforts to identify and serve infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities and their families.

The link below is to a short survey (10 questions) that will take only minutes to complete but will inform the CIM-C project’s strategies and activities to improve developmental screening and referral practices for traditionally under-served or hard-to-reach children and families in rural communities.

The survey will close on Monday, August 1^st

Thanks in advance for taking the CIM-C survey! 

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/c8cf29756675481b834cba0afe3a0294

Please contact Leslie Fox, CIM-C Project Director, at lfox2@wested.org if you have any questions.