Two Priority Public Health Bills Supported by ENA Pass the House
February 27, 2018
Legislation supporting military-civilian partnerships in trauma care and training on how to identify and treat human trafficking victims moves to the Senate
DES PLAINES, Ill. - The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) applauds the House for passing two of ENA’s public health legislative priorities yesterday.
H.R. 880, the Military Injury Surgical Systems Integrated Operationally Nationwide to achieve ZERO Preventable Deaths (MISSION ZERO) Act, establishes a grant program for military-civilian partnerships in trauma care that will allow both sectors to benefit from the others’ expertise and experience. This will improve the ability of trauma centers to treat traumatic injuries, including those caused by natural disasters, mass shootings, terrorism or automobile accidents. It also will allow military health care professionals to keep their skills sharp between deployments.
H.R. 767, the Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act, would provide health care professionals training on how to identify and appropriately treat human trafficking victims. As professionals on the frontlines of the U.S. health care system, emergency nurses are uniquely positioned to identify and assist victims of human trafficking.
Both bills now move to the Senate for consideration.
The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.
