Advocate South Suburban Hospital Nurses head to Springfield

Nurses from Advocate South Suburban Hospital descended on the State Capitol in Springfield last Tuesday to engage legislators on issues affecting health care and the nursing profession. More than 80 direct care nurses from across the Advocate system - including 11 from Advocate South Suburban - met with dozens of state legislators, including Senate President John Cullerton, State Senator Michael Hastings, State Representative Anthony DeLuca and State Representative Robert Rita as part of Advocate's annual Nurse Advocacy Day.

Participating nurses rallied support to maintain Medicaid funding levels, raise the legal age of purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21 and pass the Nurse Licensure Compact-legislation that would allow nurses licensed in Illinois to practice in other compact states.

"Nurse Advocacy Day is a wonderful opportunity for nurses to meet with legislators to discuss issues that impact our profession every day," said Sharon Otten, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive at Advocate South Suburban Hospital.

Nurse Advocacy Day is hosted by Advocate's Nurse Advocacy Council (NAC), a self-governed council composed of frontline nurses that works to educate and empower the largest nursing audience in Illinois: Advocate's more than 11,000 professional nurses. Advocate is the only known health care provider in the state to provide frontline nurses with this opportunity, thus giving them a stronger voice on legislative issues in Springfield and Washington D.C.

This is the group's 13th year going to Springfield.