Cover the Uninsured Week, May 10-16, 2004

Alabama Nurse,  Mar-May 2004  

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As you know, ANA is a founding, national, partner of the Cover the Uninsured Campaign. Cover the Uninsured Week 2004 is only three months away. Building on the success of Cover the Uninsured Week 2003, ANA will again be working to make sure that the issue of the uninsured is a focus of national discussion. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that nearly 44 million Americans went without health insurance coverage between 2001 and 2002, up from 42 million the year before. Nurses see firsthand the consequences that stem from a lack of health insurance coverage: sicker patients who have postponed needed health care.

From May 10 to 16, 2004, events will be held from coast to coast so that more Americans can learn about this critical problem - who is affected, why they are uninsured, the consequences of being uninsured to physical and financial health - and how this issue affects every American, not just those who are uninsured. The week overlaps this year with National Nurses Week (May 6-12) and National Hospital Week (May 9-15) and, hopefully, will provide opportunities to highlight the efforts to cover the uninsured and the work that nurses and hospitals do to care for the uninsured. Cover the Uninsured Week is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The California Endowment and other groups, and will include more than 800 local and national organizations and thousands of Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Former Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter once again have agreed to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs and Noah Wylie, star of the television show "ER," has agreed to serve as the campaign spokesperson.

The initial target markets for Cover the Uninsured Week activities are: Albuquerque, NM; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville, TN; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; Salt Lake City, UT; St. Louis, MO; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Topeka, KS; and Washington, D.C. Additional target markets may be added as the Week approaches. Cover the Uninsured Week staff will help local coalitions organize events in these communities. Other interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to sign on and plan activities for the week. In mid-February, an Action Kit will be available online at www.CovertheUninsuredWeek.org. It will include timelines, activity descriptions, template materials, case studies and more.

Activities leading up to the Week will include events within the religious community, and on college and university campuses. During the Week, community events will take place all across the country including health and enrollment fairs, press conferences and small business seminars. Health fairs will be a primary opportunity for nurses to get involved and, this year, more health fairs will be held at a greater variety of locations and times to better meet the needs of the uninsured. These events will highlight the issue, call for solutions and, in some cases, provide opportunities for individuals and organizations to offer direct assistance to those who lack health insurance coverage. These efforts will continue in the weeks and months following Cover the Uninsured Week as part of the ongoing campaign.

More than 1,000 events will take place during Cover the Uninsured Week 2004, involving nurses, doctors, union members, business owners, hospitals, members of religious groups, students, grandparents and people from all walks of life and every point of view.

Attached, for your information, is a contact list of field organizers for each of the target markets, as well as regional coordinators who can assist those not in target markets. Log onto www.CovertheUninsuredWeek.org for more information.

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Copyright Alabama State Nurses' Association Mar-May 2004
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