Virtual Town Halls with Nurses Running for Office in Georgia

For the first time in Georgia’s history, 13 nurses are running for political office simultaneously. The Georgia Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (CAPRN, www.caprn.org), a statewide coalition of organizations representing registered nurses who have earned masters or doctorate degrees, is hosting virtual Town Hall meetings so voters can learn more about the nursing candidates prior to the June 9 primary election. The town hall meetings are free and open to the public, and are being offered as part of a new statewide awareness campaign, “Stand Up For Nurses”. Candidates running for office include:

For U.S. Congress: Renee S. Unterman (R), District 7

Tabitha Johnson-Green (D), District 10

For Georgia State Senate: June Krise (D), District 51

For Georgia House of Representatives: Vikki Mills (R), District 1

Sharon Cooper (R), Disttrict 43

Luisa Wakeman (D), District 43

Shirley Ritchie (D), District 46

Frederick Rovner (D), District 72

Viola Davis (D), District 87

Carol Field (R), District 101

Jodi Lott (R), District 122

Joyce Barlow (D), District 151

John Lahood (R), District 175

The free, virtual Town Hall meetings are scheduled for:

• Sunday, May 24 at 5 p.m., with Renee Unterman, Shirley Ritchie, Viola Davis, John LaHood, Joyce Barlow and Frederick Rovner

• Tuesday, May 26 at noon, with Luisa Wakeman, Vikki Mills and June Krise

• Thursday, May 28 at noon with Tabitha Johnson-Green, Jodi Lott and Jasmine Clark (State representative, District 108 and instructor at Emory University’s School of Nursing)

For more information and to register, visit www.georgiansunitedforhealthcare.org/events

Michelle Nelson, Ph.D., APRN, co-director of CAPRN, says it’s exciting to see the wide range of candidates, representing the diversity of people who choose nursing as a profession. “The slate of nursing candidates includes male, female, black, white, Republican and Democrat. As we all know, in recent months the medical profession has faced enormous challenges fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, not the least of which has been a confusing and changing tapestry of federal, state and local regulations and guidelines. CAPRN has launched a new awareness campaign called “Stand Up For Nurses” to call attention to the role nurses play at all levels of healthcare, as well as to solicit public support to lift practice restrictions that keep Advanced Practice Nurses from caring for patients to the full extent of our education and training. I applaud these nurses who want to bring their expertise and experience to the state legislature where they can speak with authority about healthcare concerns and help guide policy. I want to encourage everyone to join the Town Hall meetings, and then Stand Up For Nurses and vote!”

For more information, visit www.georgiansunitedforhealthcare.or