IllinoisHAC Campaign Overview

Health care is undergoing a much-needed transformation to better serve people, their families, and the communities where they live.

Our nation faces pressing health care challenges—an aging and more diverse population, more people with more chronic conditions, millions more insured, rising costs, and a shortage of providers. We can address these challenges—now—by maximizing the use of nurses.

The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action is working to improve health care through nursing and to prepare nursing to address our nation’s most pressing health care challenges—access, quality, and cost. The Campaign’s vision is that everyone in America can live a healthier life, supported by a system in which nurses are essential partners in providing care and promoting health.

An initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Campaign for Action has organized Action Coalitions in 50 states and the District of Columbia to help implement the Institute of Medicine’s evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing.

The Illinois state action coalition is entitled: The Illinois Healthcare Action Coalition, the co-leads of this organization are:

• The Illinois Center for Nursing
• ANA-Illinois
• Illinois Organization of Nurse Leaders

Our goal is to ensure people get the care they need, when and where they need it by:

Advancing Education Transformation

Preparing our nursing workforce for the future by strengthening education and training. A more highly educated nursing workforce can lead system improvements and improve quality, accountability, and coordination of care.

IHAC Education Workgroup is working to streamline progression between RN associate degree and baccalaureate education programs, standardizing the core curriculum.

Leveraging Nursing Leadership

Preparing the next generation of nurses to meet the health care needs of people, their families, and the communities where they live and position nurses to lead system change.

Leadership fellowship, a one year program, the second group of participants graduates this summer.

Two free lunch-and-learn webinars June 24 & July 15 Nurses to the Boardroom, registration available on the IHAC Facebook & website

Removing Barriers to Practice and Care

Expanding access to care by maximizing the use of nurses and removing outdated laws, regulations, and policies that prevent nurses from practicing to the full extent of their education and training.

APN Survey preliminary results available soon.  Forums began 4/22/15, a dialog with insurers.

Promoting Nursing Diversity

Recruiting and preparing a more diverse and culturally competent nursing workforce to provide care in a variety of settings to an aging and more diverse population with more chronic illnesses. Successful forum August 2014 leaders of minority nurses associations,   Additional forums 8/27/15 & 9/17/15 to include panelists from education, practice & nurses association following presentation of RN data and APN data.

Fostering Interprofessional Collaboration

Promoting a team-based approach to education and practice to improve the quality and coordination of health care.