November 7-13, 2021: Nurse Practitioner Week

WHEREAS, nurse practitioners (NPs) serve as trusted health care providers for patients in our state; and,

 

WHEREAS, NPs are at the forefront of efforts to combat COVID-19, educating patients about prevention and ensuring the equitable distribution of vaccinations; and,

 

WHEREAS, NPs work to expand access to care in underserved communities, end health disparities, and combat systemic racism in health care; and,

 

WHEREAS, patients depend on the more than 325,000 licensed NPs in the United States, with 10,687 in Michigan, to diagnose, manage, and treat their chronic and acute health care conditions; and,

 

WHEREAS, NPs provide high-quality primary, acute, and specialty health care services while emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, and health education and counseling, guiding patients to make smarter health and lifestyle choices every day; and,

 

WHEREAS, the confidence that patients have in NP-delivered health care is evidenced by the more than one billion visits made annually to NPs across the country; and,

 

WHEREAS, more than five decades of research confirms the high quality of care provided by NPs; and,

 

WHEREAS, better utilization of NPs through modernized state laws and improved policies creates better health through a more accessible, efficient, cost-effective, and higher-quality health care system; and,

 

WHEREAS, 23 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands have implemented Full Practice Authority for NPs, granting patients full and direct access to the outstanding care offered by these health care professionals; and,

 

WHEREAS, leading governmental and policy entities including the National Academy of Medicine, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, National Governors Association, and Federal Trade Commission have taken notice of the benefits of providing patients full and direct access to NP care; and,

 

WHEREAS, Michigan is proud to recognize and honor the service of NPs to our state;

 

NOW THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, herby proclaim November 7 - 13, 2021, as Nurse Practitioner Week.